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The wrap up after night one of the NSW Inter Dominion heats at Menangle

Adam HamiltonNews Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
King Of Swing on his way to winning his Inter Dominion heat at Menangle. Supplied–Club Menangle
Camera IconKing Of Swing on his way to winning his Inter Dominion heat at Menangle. Supplied–Club Menangle Credit: Supplied

The apprentice outshone the master on night one of the NSW Inter Dominion.

Australia’s best pacer King Of Swing went a quicker time than Expensive Ego, but his young gun stablemate oozed dominance, even a touch of arrogance, as he stole the show.

Luke McCarthy drove both and continued his stance that there is “very little” between the two stars.

“Expensive Ego is probably a bit more wound-up because he’s been racing, but he did feel terrific. He’s a great horse, there’s no bottom to him,” he said.

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“I think he’ll thrive on the four runs in a fortnight, based on when he won the Chariots Of Fire earlier this year it was his fifth run in as many weeks and he improved each time.”

It’s clear a gruelling 3009m around the spacious Menangle track will be ideal for Expensive Ego.

With McCarthy still expected to drive King Of Swing in the final, he confirmed Victorian driver David Moran is on standby for Expensive Ego.

King Of Swing was more workmanlike, which is his style, when he found the front and won his heat by four metres compared to Expensive Ego’s expanding 12m margin.

“He’ll build through the series. That’s ideal for him and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series,” McCarthy said.

“He has a tendency to switch-off late, especially first-up, so I made him work to the line and he ran some terrific splits. He’s right where we want him.”

McCarthy and his wife, Belinda, were denied a cleansweep of the pacing heats by a whisker when Spirit Of St Louis led but was nabbed right on the line by David Aiken’s Victorian raider, Malcolms Rhythm, who trailed him.

Some of the eye-catchers of the beaten brigade on night one were Majestic Cruiser (second to King Of Swing), Max Delight and Mach Da Vinci (fourth and fifth to Expensive Ego) as well as Line Up and Triple Eight (third and fourth to Malcolms Rhythm).

The trotting series was turned on its head when the three of the four big guns – Funky Monkey, Pink Galahs and Tough Monarch – were all beaten.

Additionally, hot series’ favourite Majestic Man led and won his heat, but just scrambled home in unimpressive fashion.

New trainer-driver Anthony Butt jumped to his defence: “He got a bit keen and did lift when they came at him, I was reasonably happy.

“It was my first drive on him and he’s got a few little tricks, so both he and I will be better for the run.”

Emerging local trotter Timothy Red produced the upset of the night when he wove home between gaps to win the last heat for passionate trotting couple Joe and Mary Randon as a $38 outsider.

The NSW Inter Dominion continues with 1730m sprint heats at Bathurst on Wednesday night, then the third round heats at Newcastle on Sunday.

The pacing and trotting finals are back at Menangle on December 11.

Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing.

Originally published as The wrap up after night one of the NSW Inter Dominion heats at Menangle

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