Racing: Beautide in box seat for Inter final

Christen Me (6). Photo / Stuart McCormick

The shock scratching of Christen Me from the series coupled with a bullying performance on Saturday night have left Beautide with the Inter Dominion at his mercy.

The defending champion could start as short as $2 in the A$750,000 Inter Final at Menangle on March 1 after smashing key rival For A Reason in the most impressive of Saturday night's five heats around Australia.

His crushing win came hours after Kiwi superstar Christen Me was withdrawn from the series with a torn muscle, the latest in a series of high-profile scratchings.

In recent weeks Adore Me, Christen Me, Hunter Cup winner Arden Rooney, Guaranteed and Philadelphia Man have all been taken out of the series while Suave Stuey Lombo and last season's runner-up Seel N Print have failed to qualify, with Hunter Cup runner up Franco Ledger only the first emergency.

With three-time New Zealand Cup winner Terror To Love a battling third in the second of the Sydney heats held on Saturday, Beautide's only serious threat appears to be Melton heat winner Lennytheshark.

That is a far cry from two weeks ago when Beautide was a sub-standard eighth in the Victoria Cup with his Inter campaign looking in trouble, while most of the big names still looked on track.

Beautide has looked the incredible athlete of last season back on his home track at Menangle, where the sweeping bends and long straights enable him to use his stamina.

The 14 starters for the 3009m mobile final will be confirmed today, with the barrier draw on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, harness trainers from both sides of the Tasman will converge on Karaka today for what should be one of the strongest yearling sales in the industry's history.

The Australasian Classic sale has a stunning catalogue of more than 130 yearlings, most by the leading stallions but more importantly many from the most commercially current maternal families in Australasian harness racing.

That should see an average price of over $30,000 with one of the star lots certain to be the brother to Adore Me and Have Faith In Me.

Selling should be strong right from the start of the sale though, with the early lots unusually strong. Huge interest is also likely in Lot 8, who also looks a $100,000 plus yearling.

The Australasian Classic Sale starts at Karaka at 11am today.