By Mick Guerin
The closer the Interdominions get the more confusing they become.
While Christian Cullen dominates the pacing section, the trotters are becoming a fixed odds nightmare.
This is not how the Interdominions are supposed to work.
They are supposed to start with a big bunch of horses being nominated, which are slowly whittled down by injury and form loss until you have only a couple of realistic winning hopes when the series starts.
But the opposite has happened.
Three months ago Buster Hanover, Cedar Fella and Knight Pistol looked clearly the three best trotters in Australasia and were set to own the Interdoms.
Remember, that was when Merinai was briefly retired.
Now there are at least eight trotters who can win the Grand Final without shocking anybody.
Merinai showed she is nearing her best again with an efficient win at Alexandra Park on Saturday night.
Her time for the mobile 2200m was good and she won easily enough without being over exerted.
But while last season's Horse of the Year will improve further, her trainer Mark Purdon still has the worry of the four races in two weeks during the Interdominions.
"That is my biggest concern with her. She might handle it fine but in the past her best form was when he races were spaced," Purdon said.
"It will be a very interesting test for her."
While Merinai has that question mark over her, Purdon's defending Interdom champ Buster Hanover is still under an injury cloud.
He won impressively at the Pukekohe workouts yesterday but still has suspensory trouble.
"He hasn't missed much work and I am happy with his fitness but we are not out of the woods yet," Purdon said of the slight tear in one of Buster Hanover's suspensory ligaments.
Cedar Fella is in the same uncomfortable boat as Merinai.
He was an easy 2200m mobile winner recently but, like Merinai, is best with his races spaced. There are serious concerns over his ability to cope with four races in 14 days.
Then you have the grand old man Knight Pistol.
He is a great horse but reports he has been trotting as well as ever may be a little off the mark.
He simply hasn't been winning often enough and was only average when time-trialled over a mile in 1:58.5 at Ballarat on Friday night.
At his best he could win the series but his recently developed habit of breaking early in his races suggests a problem somewhere.
So while the big four all have an apparent Achillies' heal, four others have put their hands up.
Special Force and Sundon's Way looked a length below the best early in the season, particularly over the longer journeys, but they have closed that gap over the Addington and Moonee Valley carnivals.
And Purdon newcomer Africa has also emerged as a contender after her gutsy third to Merinai on Saturday night.
"She worked very hard and still stuck on well. I think she is a very good mare and she is good enough to win the whole thing," Purdon said.
While he has had a horror season, Noopy Kiosk has the ability to test any of the favourites if new trainer Dave Gibbons can get him right.
The former Aussie galloped at the Kumeu workouts yesterday but Gibbons is confident gear changes can rectify the stallion's aversion to right-handed racing.
Add to that the likes of McGrady, National Interest, Diedre's Pride and a little mare named Pride Of Petite who knows a thing or two about Interdominions, and we have the potential for the greatest trotting series ever.
The only problem is trying to pick the winner.
Horse Racing: Interdoms an embarrassment of riches
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