KEY POINTS:
Natalie Rasmussen hopes Blacks A Fake's crushing Hunter Cup win has finally crowned him as a champion in the eyes of the racing public.
As if the dual Interdominion winner had anything left to prove, he came from an imposing 30m handicap to smash the track record when
grabbing former Cambridge pacer Smoken Up in the last stride.
New Zealand's only rep in the A$400,000 race, Report For Duty, was a close-up third after enjoying the perfect trail on the searing pace.
Trainer-driver Rasmussen was understandably stunned by the performance after she had considered scratching Blacks A Fake as late as Thursday night because he had been tired followed his shock Ballarat Cup defeat a week earlier.
She was left with little option but to start yesterday though as she was threatened with a 14-day ban from racing unless she did.
When it worked out perfectly Rasmussen said she hoped the last of Blacks A Fake's critics would be silenced by the win, his first major success coming from off the pace.
"I think some people haven't looked at him as a champion because he hasn't been a flashy horse," said Rasmussen. " But he had the chance to be today and he showed them what he can do."
Any doubters of Blacks A Fakes right to be listed among the great pacers of all time were left with no argument by his scarcely believable 1:59 mile rate for the 3065m, 0.5 inside Flashing Red's remarkable rate when winning the New Zealand Cup over a similar distance in November.
That pace, coupled with the handicap, meant Blacks A Fake could be driven cold and got the chance to be the shooting star last night rather then the bully bulldog. The win made him the greatest stakes winning pacer in Australasian history, passing Shakamaker, and he looks set to add to that greatly in the next month.
He is now into $1.80 favouritism for the Interdominions, which culminate in the A$750,000 Final on March 1. If Blacks A Fake can win that he will become only the second pacer to win three Interdominions and will move close to Lyell Creek as the richest standardbred produced in this part of the world.
All of this from a horse who was the biggest-name pacer struck by the equine influenza virus with ravaged parts of Australia earlier this season.
While there were plenty off courageous performances in last night's race the bottom line is Blacks A Fake gave them a 30m start and beat them. With the Interdominions being an all-mobile series he will be back to starting off level marks so the series is his to lose.
Earlier, Viva La Fever led almost throughout to win the Dullard Cup, the feature lead-up to Interdominion Trotting Champs later this month.
The vastly-improved squaregaiter downed a moderate bunch, with the race changing complexion when, after a false start, Galleons Sunset galloped at the start.
The other Kiwi in the race, Whatsundermykilt, was run off his feet from the 20m handicap but the race just served to sum up how much New Zealand mare One Over Kenny has the trotting series at her mercy.