Grimson selects teenager for Inter Dominion final drive
Trainer Jason Grimson has chosen teenager Jye Coney to drive Dangerous in the $1 million Ladbrokes Inter Dominion final at Albion Park on Saturday. This decision marks a significant moment in Coney’s developing harness racing career.
Coney expressed his excitement about the opportunity, stating that Grimson contacted him recently regarding the drive. He acknowledged the support from the owners and Grimson for entrusting him with the role in such a major race. Coney, who grew up in a harness racing family, described the Inter Dominion as the ultimate event in the sport.
Four months prior, Grimson had selected Coney to drive Captains Mistress during her initial test in a major event, the $1 million Miracle Mile. In that race, Captains Mistress finished fifth. Grimson indicated that he did not regret the strategy employed during that race, considering the subsequent major races like the Rising Sun and Inter Dominion.
On Saturday, Coney will compete against Captains Mistress, who will be driven by Cam Hart. Grimson himself will drive Minos, completing his trio of runners in the final. Dangerous was a second-round heat winner.
Inter Dominion final contenders
The final is anticipated to be dominated by the defending champion, Leap To Fame, starting from gate 11, and Captains Mistress, from gate six. Dangerous is also considered a contender in the race. Grimson maintains that Dangerous has a serious chance of winning, based on its performance in track work.
Grimson noted that Dangerous’s impressive heat win did not surprise him. He also mentioned that the starting position for Dangerous is not a concern, as the horse is expected to settle well in the running line. Grimson believes that if the race unfolds with a strong pace, Dangerous will be in a competitive position at the finish.
Leap To Fame’s challenge
For Leap To Fame, winning a third Ladbrokes Inter Dominion final presents a considerable challenge, according to statistics. It is anticipated that Leap To Fame will spend much of the race working outside the leader, a role often filled by Captains Mistress.
This differs from Leap To Fame’s previous two Inter Dominion final victories in 2023 and 2025 at Albion Park, where the horse worked to the lead. Additionally, the last five Inter Dominion pacing final winners raced on the inside, either leading or following the leader.
Beyond Leap To Fame’s two wins, Don Hugo led in the 2024 Menangle final. In 2021, Grimson’s Boncel Benjamin won at Menangle after sitting behind the leader, Expensive Ego. A year later at Melton, another Grimson-trained horse, I Cast No Shadow, also won after sitting behind the leader, Act Now.
Statistics compiled by Toby McKinnon of Harness Racing Australia indicate that in the past 12 months, Leap To Fame has not won any of the four races over 2600m or longer where it did not work to the lead. In these races, Leap To Fame finished second, including the NZ Cup last November, the Blacks A Fake in December, the Shepparton Cup in January, and the Hunter Cup in February.
However, Leap To Fame has achieved significant victories when positioned outside the leader, including two Cambridge slot races and its first Miracle Mile in 2024. The horse also boasts a strong record at Albion Park, with 30 wins in its last 31 starts at the venue since November 4, 2023.
The only defeat during this period at Albion Park was in the Blacks A Fake last December, where Don Hugo, after a favourable position behind the leader, narrowly beat Leap To Fame. Leap To Fame will need to overcome these statistical patterns to secure a win on Saturday night.
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Source: harnesslink.com
