Gus NZ connections after winning the 2026 Inter Dominion
LAST Saturday night's epic Albion Park Inter Dominion final drove record-smashing wagering figures on the night.
Fans didn't just watch champion mare Captains Mistress fend-off local all-time great Leap To Fame, but they bet strongly on it, too.
The $1 million Ladbrokes Inter Dominion pacing final itself was the highest-wagered harness race in Queensland history with $1.6 million in domestic turnover, a thumping 16 per cent above the previous record, which was the 2023 Inter Dominion pacing final.
Off the back of the huge pacing final, the entire Inter Dominion meeting also broke the Queensland harness record, hitting $7 million in domestic turnover. That’s a three per cent jump on the same meeting last year, which was the previous record.
Racing Queensland’s Acting CEO, Lachlan Murray, was thrilled with the result.
“This year's Ladbrokes Inter Dominion series was one for the ages, with our local champs well and truly occupying centre stage,” he said.
“Leap to Fame produced one of the bravest runs in defeat you’ll ever see behind the super mare Captains Mistress, and Gus will forever be remembered as the first Queensland-trained horse to win the Trotting Championship.
“The exciting build up reached its crescendo last Saturday at Albion Park with a packed crowd returning The Creek back to a feeling of its halcyon days in the 90s.
“The record wagering results are thanks to many in the industry and I'd like to acknowledge our participants, broadcast, media and wagering partners, attendees over carnival and The Albion Park, Redcliffe and Marburg clubs for delivering an outstanding edition of the 2026 Constellations and Ladbrokes Inter Dominions series.”
Remarkably, Albion Park officials closed the gates after race four when the crowd reached capacity.
A huge finale on Inter Dominion final night also drove growth across the entire 2026 Queensland Constellations carnival, which included the feature meetings at Redcliffe and Marburg.
Turnover was up one per cent on last year, but a significant six per cent on both the 2023 and ’24 carnivals when those included other Group 1 features, the Blacks A Fake and Sunshine Sprint.
Those races have been moved to December so as not to clash with the Inter Dominion during Brisbane’s hosting stint.
The Inter Dominion returns to Albion Park next July for the third and final year of the current three-year hosting roster.
Given the success of the past two years, with turnover, crowds and engagement, Queensland is well positioned to bid for a hosting extension beyond 2027 should it wish.
Newly appointed Harness Racing Australia chairman John Dumesny addressed the hosting issue this week.
“We’ve just finished an outstanding carnival and Brisbane has it again next year, but what I can assure you is there will be no last-minute decisions on the future of the Inter Dominion,” he said.
“We will run an EOI, probably starting later this year, so we are clear on what it looks like in 2028 and beyond at least three or four months before next year’s Brisbane series.”
· Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
PHOTO:- Toby Coutts
