Gus NZ connections after winning the 2026 Inter Dominion
AUSTRALIA’S two best trotters, Keayang Zahara and Gus, are being set for New Zealand Cup Week raids later this year.
Speaking for the first time since Gus’ historic Brisbane Inter Dominion final win, when he became the first Queensland-trained trotter to win a final, trainer Chantal Turpin confirmed Addington was a lock.
“He’s going back,” she said. “He’s having a bit of a break now and then we’ll get him ready for those big races he won last year.”
Keayang Zahara is poised to return to Addington for the first time since she won three feature races there as a three-year-old in late 2024.
“The only reason she wouldn’t go is if they really slashed a lot of the prize money for those big trotting races,” co-trainer Paddy Lee said.
“She’s coming along well. She’s had four or five hopple runs and then we’ll progress to a couple of trials.”
Her first target back will be a title defence in the Group 1 Bill Collins Trotters’ Sprint at Melton on October 17, the big Victoria Cup meeting.
But star stablemate Jilliby Ballerini, who ran second in the TAB Trot at Cambridge, won’t return to Addington this year.
“We’re giving her a bit longer out with the foot issue so it’s got time to fully grow out,” Lee said. “She probably won’t be back until early next year.”
Turpin said Gus would be the only NZ raider from the team of stars she and husband, Pete McMullen, train.
“Yes, it’s all about the time away,” she said. “We might throw in a nomination for The Janitor (for the NZ Cup), but it is highly unlikely he will go.
“There was talk about taking our two-year-old Havtimemajor, but he will have a bit longer out, too.
“There are some nice races for him over there, but he can have a good break and come back later in the year to get ready for the NSW Derby (early next year).”
Havtimemajor scored one of the best wins of the Brisbane Inter Dominion carnival when came from well back and wide to win the Group 1 2YO Protostar against a strong field.
Turpin said Gus’ Inter Dominion final win was a career highlight for McMullen and her.
“Winning those two Group 1’s in NZ late last year was fantastic, but it was our greatest moment to win a final like that at our home track in front of friends and family,” she said.
PHOTO: Toby Coutts
