Don Hugo. Photo by Club Menangle
There is a sense of timing about Don Hugo heading into Saturday night’s TAB Inter Dominion Pacers Final at Menangle.
Don Hugo was the only horse to come into ID2024 first up and it has proven a smart strategy with the Eureka winner building strongly through the series.
The four-year-old progressed off a resuming fifth in round one of the series to win his next two heats and his latest success at Menangle was particularly impressive where he worked to find the front before zipping home strongly.
It was a performance that should have the entire peaking on Saturday and what's more he has the right draw to be able to show his best, starting from barrier three.
Don Hugo loves to lead - he won from that position in the Eureka and in his last two heats - and trainer-driver Luke McCarthy should be able to push for the pace-making role again.
Last week's win took his record at the circuit and distance to three from four, including his Eureka triumph and as a late season four-year-old he looks fully matured and ready to better his older rivals for a Grand Circuit win.
With established stars Leap To Fame and Swayzee missing, this year's Inter Dominion series presented an opportunity for new blood to step up to the big time and it is the four-year-olds that have taken advantage through the heats with Captains Knock winning twice and Dangerous placing in all three rounds including a last-start win.
They have had differing fortunes at the barrier draw with Dangerous faring best in barrier two.
He has been the discovery of the series, finishing third at odds of $61 in round one at Newcastle, progressing for second at Bathurst then defeating the accomplished Minstrel for his first Menangle victory last week.
He gets the lowest draw he has had in the series and it is one that should afford him a good run and give him every opportunity to complete his transition to the top level.
The joy connections of Captains Knock would have felt when the stallion scored his second heat win of the series last week was quickly tempered when the points table topper drew the inside of the back row for the final.
It is a barrier that means the in-form pacer may be relying on luck and a masterful drive from Brad Hewitt but he got one of those when coming from the back row to win in the opening round.
Captains Knock has added versatility to his arsenal through this series and if the gaps present he is going well enough to seize his opportunity.
WA raider Minstrel looks the one capable of spoiling the four-year-old party.
He has had a rollercoaster series that included a gear failure and a wild gallop in round two but he showed his talent in an opening heat win and was brave when racing parked from a similar barrier to what he has in the final to go under by just a head last week.
He is an established Group 1 performer in the west and showed his toughness when racing parked to win the WA Cup before heading east.
That is an attribute that should hold him in good stead in an Inter Dominion final.
Evergreen and always reliable eight-year-old Max Delight is another drawn on the second line but he has been in terrific form this campaign and has been quietly going about his business through the series.
He is another that scores highly on the toughness scale and if the gaps come he is good enough to be in the finish.
The Locomotive will aim to emulate the feats of Just Believe for the last two years by going through the Inter Dominion Trotters series undefeated.
He is another four-year-old that has stepped up to the rigours of an ID series, dominating both the betting and the results through the heats to take his winning streak to seven.
Importantly for his hopes in what could be a higher-pressure final, he lifted when he needed to last week and that victory stretched his perfect record at the circuit and distance to five.
The Locomotive has led from similar draws to this in each of his heat wins and he is expected to find that spot again so it is hard to tip against him and he deserves his place as a dominant $1.65 favourite in TAB markets.
Victorian Keayang Chucky has performed strongly the two times he has trotted cleanly in the series and did push The Locomotive when runner-up last week.
He draws inside The Locomotive again and seems to be peaking at the right time so could well make a race of it.
Queen Elida had her bid for a series clean sweep thwarted when gunned down last week but her first two heat wins were full of merit. She is a quality mare who could bounce back.
A tough run of draws continues for Plymouth Chubb but he is going well enough to play a role with some luck while Parisian Artiste draws on the back row but is in winning form at the right time having upset Queen Elida last week.
