The Inter Dominion Trotting Championship is the first of three straight series staged in the Sunshine State (2025-27).
You see, Queensland has been slow to host the Trotters Championship previously, in fact, the first ever Trotting series took place back in 2001.
Back in the day, whenever the Inter Dominion Carnival was staged on Australian soil other than Melbourne, Sydney or Adelaide, it has been accepted that the championship for trotters is staged at Moonee Valley, or perhaps Harold Park (both tracks no longer exist).
During the Y2K, Brisbane’s Albion Park Harness Racing Club had broken with tradition by delighting the Inter Dominion Harness Racing Council when seeking to host the event alongside the series for pacers.
And most Queenslanders were very much looking forward to the best trotters coming to town, and they had eyes for the then dominant trotter of his era, Lyell Creek, the defending Inter Dominion champion competing on the famed Breakfast Creek oval.
But as history proves, Lyell Creek never made it to Brisbane as he ventured to the northern hemisphere to conquer the world over.
The maiden Trotting series at Albion Park would be staged across three nights, two rounds of heats consisting of two heats per night and then a Grand Final over the marathon distance of 3157m. And it would be staged as a standing start event carrying total prize money of $300,000.
Oddly, only six New Zealand trotters nominated for the series, spearheaded by the richly talented Last Sunset and Mountain Gold, while many sharp judges were predicting big things from the lightly raced Take A Moment.
A rising six-year-old, Take A Moment would be making his Australian debut in the series and would arrive in Brisbane having had just 17 starts for 11 wins, already banking more than $203,000.
Trainer Tim Butt said the horse was an up-and-comer that he expected would derive plenty of benefit competing in a series like this.
"He has been handicapped right up to his best, but with an ounce of luck, he is likely to be hard to beat if he keeps on improving," the champion trainer stated.
Naturally, the Kiwis dominated the heat action with Last Sunset advancing to the final after winning both of his heats while Mountain Gold and Take A Moment also picking up a heat each.
In the $200,000 Final, staged the week before the Pacer’s Final, all six New Zealand trotters qualified while the best of the Australian hopes rested with the Chris Lang-prepared National Interest.
Last Sunset galloped and cost himself dearly while Take A Moment found the lead with just under a mile left to run, in the end, Take A Moment and driver Anthony Butt proved too strong for Mountain Gold and Special Force motoring home to finish third.
The best of the Australian-trained trotters was the Peter Manning-prepared Djerriwarrh, who finished fourth.
No Queensland-trained trotters started in that final although the Barry Alford-trained Cool Fortune was a QBRED performer.
Take A Moment would become one of the greats of the trotting gait and he would also claim the 2003 Inter Dominion series at Addington, Christchurch.
Fast forward twenty-two years, 2023 was the next time a Trotters series was staged in the Sunshine State and another champion of the gait was crowned when Just Believe became a back-to-back champion.
Following his success at Melton 12 months earlier, Just Believe would completely dominate the Brisbane series with a clean sweep of the three heats and Grand Final.
But things were a little different to the original trotting series staged in Brisbane more than two decades earlier.
The 2023 series was a mobile start series with three heats and a 2680m final staged during a two-week window.
The series carried total prize money of $469,600 while the Grand Final went for $265,000.
No New Zealand-trained trotters competed during the series while Queensland-trained trotters were in abundance.
Heat winners included Just Believe (x 3), Ollivici (x 2), Plymouth Chubb and Queen Elida.
In the final, Just Believe was lengths above his opposition and the late Greg Sugars drove him accordingly, he easily defeated Mufasa Metro and Queen Elida while rating a winning mile rate of 1:59.2.
It was a magical moment for trainer Jess Tubbs and Sugars.
“He’s a very special animal and it’s just a privilege to have him in our stable,” Greg Sugars said at the time.
“He’s made a clean sweep of two straight series now, that’s quite unbelievable but it’s testament to his ability and standing in the game, a total champion.”
Queensland-trained trotters made up half of the final field with Adelle, Funny Face, Gus, Majestic Lavros, Sir Fahrenheit and Van Sank all competing.
Sir Fahrenheit did the best of the locals by finishing fifth for Daren and Angus Garrard.
Now, the third Inter Dominion Trotting Championship is taking place at Albion Park and things are again a little different compared to the two previous series.
The 2025 series will carry prize money of $500,000, and will consist of two rounds of heats with the Grand Final being staged over the marathon distance of 3157m from behind the mobile.
So, can the locals take the prize?
With Just Believe now retired and reigning Inter Dominion champion The Locomotive competing in Europe, who will stand tall and be crowned the champion?
New Zealand nominations are headed by Oscar Bonavena and Bet N Win while the interstate performers include Callmethebreeze, Watts Up Partytime, Arcee Phoenix, Keayang Zahara, Susan Is Her Name and London To A Brick among others.
Obviously, competition will be tough, but the locals have every right to feel optimistic.
Connections of Golden Sunset, Gus and Not As Promised will lead the way for the Queenslanders.
Who knows, it might be a case of third time lucky.
