Callaghan's ID24 choices

Nerano pictured winning a heat of the TAB Inter Dominion Pacing Championship at Bathurst. Photo by Brett Atkins.

IT’S no secret that leading young reinsman Jack Callaghan favoured Curly James as his main chance of winning this year’s TAB Inter Dominion Pacing Championships.

Yet with the Grand Final just days away, Callaghan finds himself splitting his allegiances between Curly James and Nerano following the latter’s exciting win at Bathurst on Wednesday night.

Curly James was early favourite for the series but as we head into Saturday night’s final round of heats, at Menangle, Curly James has a second placing and a disappointing seventh after two rounds of heats.

Yet the Jason Grimson-trained six-year-old gelding gets his best shot at major points after drawing gate one in race 4 of Saturday night’s final round of heats.

Both Curly James and Nerano look likely to qualify for the Grand Final while Grimson’s other pair District Attorney and Cya Art may need to win to be assured of making it through to the big one.

Nerano is drawn the outside of the front line in Race 3 and may need some Callaghan magic to win again.

Yet Callaghan maintains that Curly James went well in terrible conditions at Bathurst.

“He copped the worst of it and had to come wide and had the quickest last half of the race,” he said.

“His run had a lot of merit with a lot of things not going his way.

“I do think Nerano and ‘Curly’ are probably a touch ahead of District Attorney at the moment.

“But if he improved from his Wednesday night run then all three are the type that could go well with the right draw in an Inter Dom final.

“Going into the series I thought I had quite a nice hand and it’s good to have them putting themselves into a position where they can make the final.

“And with the right draw they’re realistic chances.”

Callaghan is also keen on his prospects in the Trotters Inter Dominion with Royal Dan.

“I’ve been rapt with his two performances in the heats so far,” he said.

“His manners have been great, he’s been trotting great too and showing a really good turn of foot as well, which he’s probably not known for.

“He’s got some versatility and been settling well off a helmet which is probably the key to him being able to show a good turn of foot.

“He’s definitely heading in the right direction.”

Royal Dan is perfectly-drawn in gate one in Race 6, the final qualifying heat for the square-gaiters.