Cessnock City will have two representatives in the Australia’s premier harness racing event for the first time after Michael Formosa’s Ultimate Art and Shane Tritton’s Easy On The Eye went one-two in the Interdominion heats.
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Ultimate Art, trained and driven by Ellalong-based Formosa and owned by his wife Kirsty, finished with a sustained sprint to defeat pacesetter Easy On The Eye by a half-head in the second NSW heat at Menangle on February 14.
Kiwi champion Terror To Love was third in a blanket finish to also qualify for the $750,000 group one final at Menangle this Saturday.
Ultimate Art was bought for $7000 and he has now won more than $300,000.
Kirsty says Ultimate Art (also known by his stable name, Thomas) is part of the family – their daughters Chloe and Emme love to talk about their horse for show and tell at school.
Keinbah-based Tritton qualified for his second Interdominion final in a row, after Mach Beauty made the 2014 final – the first Hunter runner since Maitland trainer-driver-owner Keith McDeed had Medowie Prince in the 1994 decider.
Tritton was hoping to secure multiple berths this year with four runners across the two NSW heats.
Saucy Legend was last in heat two and his No.1 hope, Suave Stuey Lombo, galloped at the start of heat one. He rounded the field but tired late to finish last, while Tritton’s other entry, Mark Dennis, was second last in the qualifier won by defending champion and grand final favourite Beautide.