Racing: NZ pacer Lazarus wins A$1.1million Inter Dominion in Perth

Lazarus won the $A1.1million Inter Dominion Final in Perth.

The only thing more startling than Kiwi pacer Lazarus's demolition job in last night's $A1.1million Inter Dominion Final was trainer Mark Purdon reaction to it.

The Canterbury pair crushed Australia's best harness horses with one of the greatest ever displays by a New Zealand pacer across the Tasman.

After settling midfield Lazarus was forced to work harder than his key rivals sitting parked for the last two laps in a move that could have had the punters who backed him into odd-ons favouritism feeling nervous.

But those nerves were calmed when Purdon had a stranglehold on his champ starting the last 600m and actually chose to hold Lazarus back to his rivals to not let them gain clear air.

At the top of the straight Purdon finally gave the magnificent five-year-old stallion his head and the result was electrifying as he bolted clear to beat two former NZ pacers in Chicago Bull and Tiger Tara.

The ease of the win was stunning but Purdon was almost pragmatic about it.

"I wasn't surprised. Not at all," he dead panned.

"I knew I had them beaten a long way from home and Tiger Tara in front was actually quite fired up so I had couple of little looks at him to keep him keen.

"I knew I had him beaten down the back straight but I held Laz back to them so horses like Chicago Bull couldn't get out till late but it wouldn't have mattered.

"He was right in the zone tonight and he was bolting. He is just a champion."

So Purdon's exaggerated whip flourish at the line wasn't from excitement, more satistaction at a job well done.

The mighty Lazarus!

He just got better and better throughout the series and Mark Purdon gives the great Kiwi a perfect drive to take out the 2017 Inter Dominion Grand Final. Stunning! pic.twitter.com/baKiRWN9ou

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 8, 2017

"It was hard to come over here and win, especially with the series being so close to when he won the New Zealand Cup.

"And his defeats in a couple of the heats showed how hard it can be to beat good horses this far from home on this track.

"But he got better every run through the series and I think he showed people what a great horse he is tonight."

The victory was Lazarus's 33rd from 40 starts and over $3.2million and only Monkey King has won more money than him among New Zealand harness horses and that was from 95 starts.

Lazarus should erase that stakes difference and then some over the summer as he still has over A$2million worth of races on his radar before March.

He will remain in West Australia to contest the Fremantle and West Australia Cups next month before the Hunter Cup in Melbourne and the Miracle Mile in Sydney in February, the latter being the only blemish on his stellar season last term.

So he is unlikely to race in New Zealand again this season but all going well could be back to defend his New Zealand Cup title in November, trying to become just the fourth horse to win that iconic race three times.

While a very commercial stud career eventually beckons his connections have indicated they get more joy out of racing Lazarus so if he stays healthy and holds his form he could become harness racing's six million dollar man.

Later in the night Purdon and training partner Natalie Rasmussen also won the A$200,000 Golden Nugget with four-year-old Ultimate Machete but were denied the perfect evening when Piccadilly Princess was luckless in the Mares' Classic.