Racing: Winning Interdominion trot may come to end

New Zealand's leading pacers and trotters are taking on each other's usual roles in pre-post Interdominion betting.

Our trotters are rated the outsiders in their series, which begins on January 30.

But our pacers are favoured for a rare Interdom Grand Final win in New South Wales.

Bettor's Strike is also the favourite for the Hunter Cup on February 6. New Zealand's elite pacers and trotters find themselves in unusual territory as the Interdominions loom.

For once, our best pacers are favoured to win the Interdominions, while our trotters are not, and that goes totally against the grain of what has happened in the past 20 years.

In that time, only two New Zealand-trained pacers - Yulestar and Mr Feelgood - have won an Interdominion on Australian soil.

But when it comes to the trotting series we routinely clean up, with even last year's Australian-trained winner Sundon's Gift having started his career in New Zealand.

This year, the horseshoe appears to be on the other hoof, at least if Australian bookmakers are to be believed.

The two series will be held separately this season, with the trotters kicking off in Victoria on January 30, when two heats will be held before a final at Moonee Valley on February 6.

New Zealand's participation in that series looks skinny to say the least, with Springbank Richard, Galleons Sunset and Houdini Star all possibilities to contest but none confirmed.

Even if they do make the trip they are all at double figures in pre-post markets, completely dominated by the Chris Lang-trained pair of Skyvalley ($2.75) and Sundon's Gift ($3.50).

That pair have been so dominant this season even our best trotters would struggle to topple them, but with Stig, One Over Kenny, Speculate, Sovereignty and Raydon all missing the series the Kiwis will need a miracle to continue our domination of the trotting ranks.

However, the pacing Interdominion is shaping up as the complete opposite.

That series starts at Harold Park in Sydney on February 19 before moving to Newcastle eight nights later, with the A$1 million final at Menangle on Sunday, March 7.

Monkey King is the $6 favourite for the title in Australia, with Bettor's Strike equal second favourite even though his trainer Cran Dalgety has suggested he will bypass the series in favour of the Auckland Cup, five days after the final.

Changeover, who is still racing below his career-best form, is the $9 fifth favourite for the series, but he, too, is not certain to cross the Tasman.

The chances of a rare New Zealand victory on Australian soil have been boosted by a recent setback to Melpark Major.

The Victorian pacer has been luckless but fantastic in races such as the Miracle Mile and Victoria Cup but is suffering from a back muscle complaint.

That will keep him out of the Hunter Cup on February 6 and puts him on the back hoof for the Interdoms.

It also continues his horror run of problems in the past year, as he missed last season's Interdominions on the Gold Coast and then suffered an atrial fibrillation in his comeback race last spring.

His setback has seen him drift to $11 in Interdom betting, while there also have to be doubts over the form of three-time Interdom champ Blacks A Fake.

That leaves usual suspects and New Zealand Cup runners Smoken Up and Karloo Mick as the biggest dangers to the Kiwi raiders in the Hunter Cup and Interdoms.

Smoken Up heads to Adelaide for the South Australia Cup this Saturday, while Karloo Mick bounced back from a recent shock defeat to win the A$40,000 Young Cup on Sunday.

But as far as Australian bookmakers are concerned a New Zealand-bred Interdominion winner is almost a done deal.

Sportingbet is offering $1.38 that the pacing final winner will have been born in New Zealand, an option that includes Monkey King, Smoken Up, Bettors Strike, Changeover and Pembrook Benny.