Racing: Flyers likely on small track

By MICHAEL GUERIN in Perth

You only have to walk 20m up the Gloucester Park home straight to see why the favourites should dominate tonight's opening round of the Interdominions.

Harness racing's annual transtasman grudge match kicks off in Perth tonight, with three Kiwis taking on a bunch of hardened but hardly spectacular locals.

As superstars Elsu and Just An Excuse are missing, the series will be even more of a war of attrition than usual.

Being only 800m long with a 125m home straight, Gloucester Park places a premium on gate speed and toughness, meaning few horses who get back in this series will be able to make ground.

That being the case the first glance at tonight's four opening heats over 1740m would suggest series favourites The Falcon Strike (barrier seven, heat three) and Sokyola (barrier eight, heat four) may have their work cut out.

That is until you actually take a stroll around the picturesque little track.

Countering its ridiculously short straight are some relatively sweeping bends which means the horses will be flying when they reach tonight's start point at the top of the home straight.

Well, most of the horses that is, just not the inside ones.

While conventional wisdom would suggest horses in barriers one and two would have a huge advantage over a sprint trip at this level, it won't be the case tonight.

The start point is only 20m into the home straight and inside horses will hardly have time to get balanced before they are swamped by the horses out wide.

For that reason punters can expect to see a lot of horses drawn three or worse getting flyers at the start and pressing forward.

And that will suit The Falcon Strike and Sokyola.

The Falcon Strike has shown some staggering group one form on this track.

He was beaten when driven quietly in his final lead-up last week but will be put right into the race tonight. The outside horses are drawn to cross early so his driver, Gary Hall junior, will get the chance to press forward.

His trainer, Gary Hall senior, warns punters to forget last week's defeat. "He needed the run and had a small problem going into the race," said Hall.

"But he will be far better this week and you will see a different horse."

That being the case only Napoleon should threaten.

The Kiwi speedster will love the tight track and should stay handy.

If he can lead or sit on the back of The Falcon Strike he could surprise but his biggest danger is of super-quick beginner Sand Pebbles crossing him at the start.

Sokyola has enough gate speed to lead most races from a wide draw but his barrier eight looked tricky until the bias at the start is seen.

With that in mind he should be able to lead after 400m and from there it is hard to see too much mid-race pressure so he should be able to scamper up the home straight first.

New Zealand hero Holmes D G looks at least a place chance in that heat but has not won fresh up for a long time and will strip a fitter horse in the second round of heats on Tuesday.

The other heats should be dominated by staying prowess rather than draws.

Double Identity has drawn best of the guns in his heat and has enough gate speed to work his way to the front when, if the opinion of his trainer-driver Harry Martin counts for anything, the race will be over.

Martin scratched Double Identity from the Hunter Cup two weeks ago in protest at his 20m handicap and says that was a masterstroke.

"That little break has really helped and I couldn't be happier with him," said Martin. "He is as well as I can have him."

Trainer Tim Butt has the same confidence with Hunter Cup winner Mister D G, who should dominate the second leg.

The son of Blossom Lady has thrived in the Perth heat and should be good enough to sit outside likely leader Tricky Vic, who is rated the fastest beginner in the series.

Also aiding Mister D G is the fact local mare Lombo La Fe Fe has drawn the ace so should get crossed at the start.

If she does manage to defy the bias and hold the lead she will become the horse to beat.

The heats will be live on Trackside with the TAB taking betting on them and support races from Perth.