APG graduates chasing Inter Dominion glory

IT IS 88 years since the inaugural running of the Inter Dominion Championships at Gloucester Park in Perth.

This time-honoured race is still makes the Final the most important event on the southern hemisphere harness racing calendar.

The 2024 edition will be fought out at Menangle on Saturday night, with seven bred in Australia.

Of those seven, five were purchased at the annual APG Yearling Sales:

Captains Knock [by Captaintreacherous] $36,000 $515,576
Curly James [by A Rocknroll Dance] $44,000 $331,512
Don Hugo [by Art Major] $82,500 $1,260,774
Jilliby Nitro [by Bettors Delight] $80,000 $472,385
Max Delight [by Bettors Delight] $245,000 $1,175,224

Don Hugo and Curly James are the first foals of their dams, Max Delight is the second foal, Jilliby Nitro is a third foal whilst Captains Knock’s dam produced four previous foals before he arrived on the scene.

If Captains Knock is successful, he will become the second Inter Dominion winner from his Family, with Elsu being a dominant winner in 2005.

Don Hugo is related to one of the greatest horses never to win the Inter Dominion in the champion Kiwi pacer Courage Under Fire.

Then Curly James is closely-related to one of Australia’s greatest females, which never contested an Inter Dominion - Ladies In Red.

The above five have combined earnings of $3,755,470 - with the promise of  more to come.

Should one of the five win the Final, they will join Leap To Fame, Smolda, Smooth Satin and Shakamaker as APG graduates to take home an Inter Dominion trophy this century.

• APG Media