The Interdominion will take on a radical new look if NSW can attract the event to Menangle for three years from 2013. The NSW Harness Racing Club and Harness Racing NSW combined with Events NSW to put in a tender on Friday that would see them host what would be a revamped series.
The plans would see the traditional two or three heats and a final format scrapped and pacers race in six state qualifiers across Australia and New Zealand. A 3000m grand final would be held at Menangle a fortnight later on the first Saturday of March.
Heat winners would be guaranteed a grand final start and each qualifier would be rated to decide how many horses make the 10-horse field. One discretionary place would be held for a northern hemisphere pacer or if a well-credentialed horse missed out in a heat.
The final would be held on a bumper night of racing including the Chariots of Fire, Ladyship Mile, NSW Derby and NSW Oaks.
While admitting the plan was "something completely different", the CEO of Tabcorp Park Menangle, John Dumesny, said the left-field idea best kept the trans-Tasman essence of the 75-year-old event.
"I think it's fantastic because it encapsulates the Interdominion being Australia- and New Zealand-wide and the grand final would be conducted on the best track in the southern hemisphere," he said.
HRNSW CEO Sam Nati said the proposal "wasn't just about the grand final. It's about creating Australasia's greatest raceday and that is its true strength from an industry perspective.'' Nati claimed the heats and final format had become "redundant" in the modern era after a decrease in horse population.
"What people have to understand is that 20 years ago the industry was breeding twice as many horses as we do now," he said. "So in theory we have half as many true Interdominion performers, yet people still want the same 36 or 40 horses going around in the run-offs. The reality is that the heats have become redundant.''
Christchurch is the other bid candidate after Victoria failed to gain state government support. The winning bid will be known in August.
OLD WARHORSES NEVER DIE
Dubbo trainer Barry Lew will hit the road with warhorse Karloo Mick tonight, the horse heading north to renew a remarkable rivalry with fellow 10-year-old Blacks A Fake over the winter carnival at Albion Park.
Karloo Mick showed he still had plenty of life left in his tough legs last Sunday with a sensational win off 20m in the Macarthur Pacers Cup (1609m) at Menangle.
Karloo Mick and Blacks A Fake first clashed in the 2006 Interdominion series in Tasmania.
The first Queensland race on the agenda for Karloo Mick will be a free-for-all on Saturday, followed by the Sunshine Sprint (July 16) - a race he won in 2009, with Blacks A Fake second - and the group 1 Winter Stakes the following week.
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