A new era and a shot at history on the cards Across the Ditch
Across the Ditch • July 18th, 2025 3:09 PM • 5 min read
Harness Racing - Adam Hamilton
What a contrast we have on so many levels in Saturday night’s two Brisbane Inter Dominion finals.
The pacing final is all about greatness and Leap To Fame’s quest for a second Inter Dominion and a big slice of history.
The champion six-year-old is $1.25 favourite – the shortest in Inter Dominion history – despite a potentially tricky pole draw for a horse lacking a lot of gate speed.
Most think it won’t matter over a gruelling 3157m trip.
Victory will make him the richest harness horse in this part of the world, overtaking another mighty Queenslander in Blacks A Fake.
As well as enjoying his sheer talent and power, Kiwi can watch Leap To Fame with a view to him being at Addington for his first tilt at the iconic NZ Cup in November.
That will help ease the disappointment of not having a Kiwi-trained runner in this pacing final.
It’s a much different story in the trotting final.
It’s quite an even and fascinating contest and two of the major players are Kiwis in Bet N Win (gate five) and Oscar Bonavena (12).
Both are good enough and can win.
Throw in the best of the Aussies in Arcee Phoenix, Gus, Parisian Artiste and London To A Brick and this a trotting final with depth.
Arcee Phoenix was crunched in from $4 to $2.50 after drawing the pole, but is it really the big help most seem to think?
That will all hinge on how quickly Chris Svanosio’s TAB Trot winner can muster for a horse who usually takes a few strides to his straps.
Bob Butt will surely come out guns blazing and have a proper crack for the lead. He’ll move into gate four if emergency Sir Fahrenheit doesn’t get a start.
Oscar Bonavena, who was a beneficiary of the new bonus points system to make the final after gallops in both heats, is out of the draw, but that should suit.
The old boy is good enough and still has all his old speed to win, if the race is run to suit.
There’s no trotter going better than Gus, but will he get it all right again this week and can he come from last in a field with depth and talent?
It’s a fantastic support card too, with three other Group 1 races, the Queensland Derby, Queensland Oaks and the Golden Girl for mares.
Thoroughbred Racing - Nick Quinn
With star trainer James Cummings departing the Australian training ranks, the powerful Godolphin have sent his runners to a wide range of trainers.
Cummings has trained 52 Group 1 winners in his career and overseen Anamoe, Bivouac and Broadsiding in his tenure as Godolphin's private trainer in Australia.
But with Cummings departing, Godolphin has spread its wings.
Anthony and Sam Freedman already have a good relationship with Godophin and have picked up Tom Kitten and Tentyris.
Tom Kitten won the Gr.1 All-Star Mile in the autumn defeating Mr Brightside with Tentyris winning two of his four career starts.
Tempted and Zardozi to Ciaron Maher. Zardozi was a spectacular winner of the 2023 VRC Oaks so it will be fascinating to see if the Maher stable can get her back to that level.
Other notable runners include Golden Mile to Joe Pride, Pericles to Bjorn Baker and Commemorative and Beiwacht to Chris Waller.
There was a big sale of many of the Godolphin runners during the week with Lavalier fetching the highest bid.
Twenty-six thoroughbreds were sold on account of Godolphin through the Inglis Digital July (Early) Online Sale, as the blue army goes through a time of change.
A half-brother to multiple Gr.2 winner Pericles, Lavalier only has one victory to his name, that was a maiden win at Kembla Grange last year, but more recently, he finished third in the G1 South Australian Derby and fourth in the G1 Queensland Derby.
The three-year-old gelding was sold to Sunshine Pty Ltd for $380,000
Pericles sold for $330,000.
Cummings will be eligible to have runners at Sha Tin and Happy Valley as of September 2026 and joins the Hong Kong training ranks at a time of regeneration.
