Grimson’s Faith in Coney
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 opportunity for Coney, who described the Inter Dominion as the ultimate event in harness racing.
Coney expressed his gratitude for the chance, stating that he has been excited since Grimson indicated he would likely get the drive. He thanked the owners and Grimson for their support, noting that he had not anticipated such a major opportunity when he moved to Sydney for better prospects.
Grimson’s trio for the final also includes Cam Hart driving Captains Mistress and Grimson himself driving Minos. Dangerous, an impressive second-round heat winner, is currently the fourth favourite in the final.
Just four months prior, Grimson had selected Coney to drive Captains Mistress in the Miracle Mile. Although Captains Mistress finished fifth in that race, Grimson indicated that the decision was made with an eye on future major races like the Rising Sun and the Inter Dominion.
Inter Dominion Final Dynamics
The final is expected to be dominated by defending champion Leap To Fame and Captains Mistress. Leap To Fame, starting from gate 11, is the favourite, with Captains Mistress, from gate six, close behind.
Coney will now compete against Captains Mistress, a mare he previously partnered. He reflected on the past few months, highlighting his drive in the Miracle Mile, achieving his 300th winner, and now securing a drive in the Inter Dominion final.
Despite Dangerous being considered Grimson’s third-string entry in terms of betting, the trainer believes the horse has a strong chance to win. Grimson noted Dangerous’s performance in track work and his impressive heat win, where driver Cam Hart was surprised by the ease of the victory.
Grimson is confident in Dangerous’s starting position, expecting the horse to settle well in the running line. He anticipates that if the race unfolds as strongly as predicted, Dangerous will be competitive at the finish.
Meanwhile, statistics suggest a challenging task for Leap To Fame to secure a third Inter Dominion final win. It is anticipated that Leap To Fame will spend much of the race working outside the leader, likely Captains Mistress. This differs from his previous two Inter Dominion victories in 2023 and 2025 at Albion Park, where he worked to the lead.
Past trends show that the last five Inter Dominion pacing final winners raced on the inside, either leading or sitting behind the leader. Toby McKinnon of Harness Racing Australia highlighted that Leap To Fame has not won any of the four races over 2600m or further in the past 12 months where he did not work to the lead, finishing second in all of them.
These races include the NZ Cup in November, the Blacks A Fake in December, the Shepparton Cup in January, and the Hunter Cup in February. However, Leap To Fame has also achieved significant wins when racing parked outside the leader, including two Cambridge slot races and his first Miracle Mile in 2024.
Leap To Fame boasts a strong record at Albion Park, having won 30 of his last 31 starts at the venue since November 4, 2023. His only defeat during this period was in the Blacks A Fake last December, where he was narrowly beaten by Don Hugo, who had a favourable position behind the leader.
The Inter Dominion final on Saturday night will test whether Leap To Fame can defy these statistical trends.
Source: harnesslink.com
