Hosting heats is a nod to Bathurst's Inter Dominion history

This December they will get the chance to watch the finest horses in Australasia do battle in the iconic series which Bathurst will forever be linked to.

It was almost five decades ago that Tony Turnbull famously drove Hondo Grattan to victory in Inter Dominion Final at Harold Park for the first time, his 11/4 favourite fighting back in the dying metres to win by a head.

The following year, in 1974, Turnbull's 'Bathurst Bulldog' became the first horse to win back-to-back Inter Dominion finals and did it in spite of a 15 metre handicap. The pair were later given a civic reception.

In 2002 Smooth Satin also added his name to local folklore when he won the Inter Dominion for Steve Turnbull.

In the years since Bathurst trainers, drivers and owners have continued their association with the series, so it was fitting when Harness Racing NSW and Club Menangle decided to stage the second round of heats in this year's series here.

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Harness Racing NSW CEO John Dumesny said the decision to stage heats at the Bathurst Paceway on December 1 follows on from their move in 2002 when a round of heats were moved away from Harold Park.

"The chairman of the club then was Tony McGrath and he looked at it and said 'Well it's this second round of heats which is causing us the bother because it's all at Harold Park'," Dumnesy recalled.

"So he, Peter V'landys and myself got together and we took that one to Newcastle as the second round, worked so well, big crowd went there.

"Now we've gone the one step further ... we're going to Newcastle and Bathurst. We're taking the best horses to all the enthusiasts we have in the country and we have so many.

"It's a sport that's steeped in the traditions of these smaller clubs that really put on a show week-in and week-out."

This year's Inter Dominion series will start at finish at Menangle Park, but heats and Bathurst and Newcastle are designed to further promote it.

"To start and finish the series at Australasia's premier track is sure to attract outstanding crowds, however, it is important that we share this opportunity with other areas of the state to showcase the elite level of our sport," Bruce Christison, Club Menangle CEO, said.

The hosting of the series is a significant financial commitment and it is important to maximise the return across the entire state."

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