Enigma and Superstar Headline Ballarat ID22 Heats

AN enigma and a superstar battling health issues headline the intrigue of Inter Dominion opening at Ballarat on Saturday.

Gifted pacer Expensive Ego and top Kiwi trotter Bolt For Brilliance are arguably the best horses in their divisions of the iconic series, but both head into it with big queries over them.

Expensive Ego grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons this time last year when he was the first pacer to win an Inter Dominion final, only to be stripped of it in the stewards’ room on protest.

That disappointment aside, he still looked the next big thing at the time, but has struggled to recapture anything like that elite form since.

Redemption awaits, but can he find his best form through the four races across two weeks of this series?

Victorians remained scarred after his woeful display when he led and barely gave a whimper as an easing favourite in the Group 1 Victoria Cup at his last run down here on October 8.

Co-trainer Luke McCarthy whisked him back to NSW and he’s since returned to winning form. He says everything points to Expensive Ego bringing his A-game to this series, but most will be wary and waiting to see some evidence on the track.

“That Victoria Cup run is just a mystery. He seemed great before it, we never found anything wrong with him and he’s fantastic back home ever since,” McCarthy said. “You’d do your head in overthinking these things, we just had to turn the page and move on.”

Expensive Ego won’t have an easy start to the series from barrier 10 in Saturday night’s second pacing heat, while main dangers Mach Dan (gate two) and Act Now (seven) have the front row on their home track.

Bolt For Brilliance is an even bigger and more important query.

He’s as good as any trotter in this part of the world at his top and has long been a standout favourite for the series.

But his campaign looked in tatters just two weeks ago when he ran miles below his best in Christchurch and trainer-driver Tony Herlihy discovered “gunk in his lungs.”

It’s been a day-by-day thing for Herlihy when he even made the trip across the Tasman ever since, but the tide has turned.

“We treated him straight away and I thought I had enough time if everything went right,” he said. “He seemed good in the middle of last week and then I worked him again last weekend and was happy. He’s back where we want him.

“He’ll be a bit underdone to kick it off, but will build through the heats and I think we can have him at his top come final time.”

Bolt For Brilliance drew gate two in Saturday night’s second trotting heat, but has brilliant local star and likely leader Majestuoso draw inside him.

You sense as much as Herlihy would love to win Saturday night, running well and coming through it in great order would be close to a win, too.

• Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.