By MICHAEL GUERIN
BRISBANE - Barry Purdon never lost faith in Holmes D G and last night we all found out why.
The Auckland superstar bounced back to the winner's circle in stunning fashion in the first pacing heat of last night's second round of the Brisbane Interdominions in an effort that forced bookies to slash his odds for next week's Grand Final from 15 to 7-1.
The dual Miracle Mile winner, who was only average in the first heat on Saturday night, was a different horse last night as he sat three wide for the last 1600m yet turned the race into a procession at the 500m when he unleashed a sprint four wide which gave his rival windburn.
He rounded the home turn five lengths clear and kept going strongly to the line to beat fellow New Zealand Ouch, giving New Zealand's stables their second quinella in as many heats in the early part of last night. Both horses should now make the Final.
"I know his form had been up and down coming into tonight but I knew he was ready for run like that," said Purdon.
"Because he has won so many great races people are very hard, as they have a right to be, when he finishes out of the money like he did last Saturday night.
"But he improved with that run and he felt great tonight. I think he is right back to his best. We are right in this series now."
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Special Force won a battle at Albion Park last night but his chances in the Interdominion war aren't look quite so rosy.
The 1999 Interdominion champion went the best race of his comeback campaign from injury when he flew into fourth in the first trotting heat of night, won in effortless style by Last Sunset.
While Last Sunset looked all over the series favourite by leading throughout, for Special Force's driver Colin De Filippi the mission wasn't winning - it was simply making Saturday night's $A200,000 Grand Final.
Special Force was well out of the money when trapped wide in his heat on Saturday night and needed to finish in the first four last night to make the Final.
And the chance of that didn't look so hot when he was last of the bunch and locked away on the markers with just 600m to run.
But De Filippi picked him a path through the tiring traffic to storm into fourth and earn his shot at becoming dual Interdom champion.
"Getting him there is a massive relief, now we just have to work out how to beat Last Sunset."
That is the problem facing every horseman engaged in Saturday's Trotting Final as Last Sunset was crushing last night.
The way he ground out relentless sectionals last night suggested it will take a freakish effort to beat him in the Final, a fact even conservative champion reinsman Tony Herlihy admits.
"It is hard to be confident going into a $A200,000 Interdominion Grand Final but lets just say I have never been this confident going into an Interdominion Final before," said Herlihy, who has won two Grand Finals.
Eastnor Lad's second in the heat will ensure he also makes the Final.
Racing: Holmes D G restores faith
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