Racing: Lennytheshark gobbles them up in the home straight

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Chris Alford was right.

The champion Australian reinsman was confident his driver Lennytheshark could sit parked and win last night's A$1.3 million Inter Dominion Final at Gloucester Park in Perth and he was spot on, the Victorian pacer bolting clear in the home straight.

Alford controlled the race outside the leader Lovers Delight, denying Avonnova the parked position when the latter moved aggressively inside the first lap.

With him seen off, Lennytheshark could relax and then wind up the pressure from the 600 mark and had Lovers Delight covered at the top of the straight, working clear with Flaming Flutter battling into third after trailing the runner-up.

Those back in the field had little chance as the leaders never came back to them but it was hard to argue the winner wasn't the best horse in the series.

The win was his 24th in 45 career starts.

But his career has been interrupted by leg problems since he won the NSW Derby three years ago.

He is trained by David Aiken and the win was Alford's second Inter Dominion as a driver after partnering Golden Reign to win at Addington in 1995.

"I couldn't afford to give the parked position away so I had to make a stand early and it paid off," said Alford.

"It is a credit to the job David has done with this horse and he is a wonderful animal, I just love him."

Lennytheshark was as long as $16 on the New Zealand TAB fixed odds two months ago but was favourite for the series from the time Beautide and Christen Me pulled out last month.

He can now return to his beloved Melton track for the Victoria and Hunter Cups in February before a possible meeting with Christen Me and Beautide at the Miracle Mile in Sydney in March.

The disappointment of the final was second favourite Philadelphia Man, who had a good run midfield but never made any ground when asked to go at the bell.

Earlier in the meeting, former Auckland pacer Beaudiene Boaz won the A$200,000 Golden Nugget for 4-year-olds, leading all the way.