Australian top trotter Tornada Valley took his seventh straight victory when he won the final of the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship at Tabcorp Park outside Melbourne on Saturday. In the spring he may be considered for the Elitloppet.
- I really like the horse and will follow him in the future, says Solvalla's sports manager Anders Malmrot.
Inter Dominion has been running in Australia and New Zealand since 1936, but for the last five years the series has been run for passport holders only. This year, when the trotters have been allowed back in, Tornada Valley has totally dominated. The seven-year-old gelding won all three selection races and after being driven to the lead in Saturday's final, he stepped away to secure victory ahead of the strongly sprinting surprise Sky Petite.
- "To win the Inter Dominian here tonight is amazing! It's the race everyone wants to win and now I've won it," said driver Kate Gath after becoming the first woman in history to win the race.
Tornada Valley is trained by Kate Gath's husband Andy Gath and since the couple took over the management of the horse he has won 17 of 21 starts. Saturday's victory, taken in a mile time of 1.14.2 over 2,760 meters, was rewarded with around 600,000 SEK.
Several former winners of the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship have come to Sweden and started in Elitloppet. Maybe Tornada Valley can be next year's most exotic feature during the trotting festival at Solvalla last Sunday in May?
- "He's a great horse and he showed his starting speed too. He is difficult to put in but it is clear that a starting fast victory machine is interesting. I really like the horse and I will follow him in the future to see where it goes, says Solvalla's sports manager Anders Malmrot.
Ola Johansson, Channel75
Photo: Thomas Blomqvist
