Top Queensland trainers look towards Inter Dominion championship

By Jordan Gerrans

Just weeks after registering his 500^th victory as a trainer, Daren Garrard has Inter Dominion trotting championship hopes with the in-form Sir Fahrenheit.

With the rankings this week released for the Inter Dominion pacing and trotting championships for 2021, Garrard’s Sir Fahrenheit tops the billing for Queensland trotters, with champion Colt Thirty One – trained and driven by Grant Dixon – leading the way in the pacers for the Sunshine State.

Three-time TAB Queensland Harness Horse of the Year, Colt Thirty One, is ranked 22^nd overall, with Sir Fahrenheit, who has won his last two at Albion Park, in 25^th place in his division.

A total of 10 Queensland-based horses are ranked, six in the pacers and four in the trotters.

A stalwart of the harness racing game in the Sunshine State, Garrard has been over the moon with the way his seven-year-old bay has performed in recent weeks.

“He has been going terrific the last couple of weeks,” Garrard said.

“We have only had him for six months; we have won four with him now and he has really hit top form over his last two starts, he has been terrific.

“I blame myself really, I probably did not train him correctly when we first got him, but we have got him on song now.”

Gelding Sir Fahrenheit broke his own track record at Albion Park last month while being driven by Garrard’s son, up-and-coming reinsman Angus over 2647 metres.

According to Garrard, Sir Fahrenheit’s path to the Inter Dominion trotting championship will be guided by state borders with the finals night to be held at Tabcorp Park Menangle on December 11.

“It also depends on the COVID thing, if we could go down or not,” Garrard said.

“I would not send the horse down to someone else if I couldn’t go, we just wouldn’t go to the race.

“I think he would go all right, he would be competitive if we did go down. 

“You are talking the best of the best, but I think he would be up there with them.”

After scoring in his previous two efforts last month, the winner of 16 career races from 88 starts will be back to Albion Park next Saturday night before looking towards the 2021 TAB Queensland Summer Harness Racing Carnival.

Garrard had another trotter earlier in his training career compete on the Inter Dominion stage, with an aim to add Sir Fahrenheit to that record, as well.

Earlier this week, previous Group 1 Blacks A Fake champion King Of Swing and Tornado Valley were revealed as the number one ranked horses vying for this year's Inter Dominion pacing and trotting championships.

As many as 103 pacers and 64 trotters were put forward for this year's series.

Amazing Dream, who claimed dual success in the Sunshine State this year – winning the first ever The Rising Sun and the time-honoured Blacks A Fake – is also in the pacing top five.

Queensland-based trainers Chantal Turpin, Trent Lethaby, Hayden Barnes, Gemma Hewitt, Shawn Grimsey and Vicki Rasmussen all have horses rated in the top 90 – with the Turpin team having three in the mix.

The second round of rankings will be released on October 27 after first acceptances close on October 25.