Racing: Home series major target

Patriotism will stop Just An Excuse from chasing Aussie gold in Melbourne over the next month.

Trainer Robert Mitchell thinks he can beat Australia's best pacers over on their home tracks, but he would rather beat them here.

Mitchell had planned to give Just An Excuse a three-race campaign in Victoria over the next month, culminating in the $400,000 Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley on February 12.

But after a below-par performance in the Auckland Cup last week Mitchell has developed tunnel vision - the sort of tunnel vision that could pay huge dividends in March.

Just An Excuse galloped away in last Friday's Cup and after having to race parked for the last lap dropped out, with driver Todd Mitchell not punishing the big horse when it was clear he could not win.

Rather than get down about the missed opportunity, Robert Mitchell says it has clarified how he sees the remainder of the season for the dual New Zealand Cup winner.

"We were serious about going back to Melbourne but I think his best chance of winning the Interdominions here in March is if I set him for that exclusively," he said.

The Interdominons start at Alexandra Park on March 4 and will be the biggest harness racing series held in New Zealand, with a $750,000 pacing final and $250,000 trotting final on March 18.

"We could have gone to Melbourne and still raced in the Inters but if things hadn't gone well over there we would be on the back foot for our home series.

"And the sort of money we will be racing for at Alexandra Park only comes along once in a lifetime for horses in this part of the world.

"So we will stay here and get him as right as possible."

Mitchell says his fascination with the Interdominions isn't just about the money - he wants to win for New Zealand.

While New Zealand's best pacers have had the better of their Australian rivals in most of the major races in the last 20 years the Aussies have ruled the Interdominions.

"It has been a bit embarrassing, us going over there every year and getting beaten by them," admitted Mitchell.

"Having this series at home I'd love to see one of the Kiwis win it. Hopefully us."

For Just An Excuse that will mean defying the racing pattern of his career, with his races having been usually spaced at least two weeks apart, often further.

"It will be something different for him having to race four times in a fortnight but he is getting older and stronger.

"After all, he won the Cup trial at Addington, the New Zealand Cup and then the Free-For-All all in 10 days this season so I think he will handle it.

"I am looking forward to the challenge."

Nominations for the Interdominions close on January 20, with Elsu, Just An Excuse and Australian Sokyola the early favourites.

"It is looking like a very hard series for us to line up," said TAB bookmaker Paul Lally.

"Elsu always has huge support in New Zealand while we know the Aussies love Sokyola and we get a lot of them betting over here too.

"And then we have a lot of glamour horses like Just An Excuse, Jack Cade and Mister D G to try and line up against each other."

But that isn't the only problem facing the bookies as they count down to opening the Interdom markets around January 21.

"How do you line up horses like Lyell Creek, Allegro Agitato, Sumthingaboutmaori, Sammy Do Good and Paris Metro, who upset them last week at Alexandra Park.

"And on top of that we have to give a price for Take A Moment, who nobody has seen for a year.

"I can tell you they are going to be very interesting markets to set but with all those horses it is going to be a massive series."