A new chapter in Bathurst's strong association with the series that draws the finest runners from across Australia and New Zealand will be written on Wednesday night when trainers Bernie Hewitt, Chris Frisby, Steve Turnbull and Amanda Turnbull are represented in the heats.

Between them they have six runners - one of the Bathurst region's biggest contingents to tackle the rich series - and the chance to send their stable stars into action on their home track against the best is a historic moment.

The Western Advocate has gotten the word from each of the trainers on how their runners shape up for Wednesday night and what the occasion means to them.

WHEN Our Uncle Sam ran second in the 2018 Inter Dominion grand final with his son Anthony in the gig, it was one of the proudest moments of Chris Frisby's training career.

On Wednesday night he knows he is in for another special moment when Our Uncle Sam and his stable-mate Aphorism line up for the second round of heats of this year's Inter Dominion series in front of a home crowd.

The Perthville trainer had never imagined the renowned series would visit his home track or that if it did, he'd have a pair of runners involved.

"It's real good isn't it? Real special. Being in the Inter Dominion and having it in your own backyard, for all those people who love trotting I think it's so good," he said.

"I never imagined it would happen, we're so lucky they are starting to put the good horses where the people are, trying to get them into the game.

"It's a good effort for harness racing in Bathurst to think we've got six horses racing in it."

While both Our Uncle Sam ($101), who also ran in the 2019 Inter Dominion series in Auckland, and Aphorism ($201) are outsiders for their heats at Bathurst, Frisby thinks they are better than those odds suggest.

Our Uncle Sam placed a 13.1m eighth in his opening heat at Menangle on Saturday night, but didn't get a clear run.

The trainer and his son Anthony Frisby, who was in the gig, were actually pleased with the effort of their seven-year-old.

"I was real happy with him on Saturday night, it's probably as good a run that he has put in for a long, long time. Anthony came back and said it was probably as good a run he's put in when he ran second in the Inter Dominion," Frisby said.

"He just got crossed and was too far back and he never got out, he didn't get a clean run home. But he pulled up real good and I dead set couldn't be happier with it.

"He was given a couple of real bad checks too, when they get home in 26 seconds, you can get a check and run 26."

Our Uncle Sam will run in the first of the second round heats on Wednesday night. Though he has copped a barrier 12 draw and his rivals include round one heat winner Expensive Ego, the trainer feels he can be a threat with the right run.

"That draw, it's better than six, seven, eight. It's going to be hard because there is going to be a lot of speed you'd imagine, but if he can just get a run in the race somewhere along the line, well then," Frisby said.

"If he can get a trail into it at the 400 and didn't have to go any further than four or five wide, he'll be right in the game. Mainly because he ran so well the other night and pulled up good, I thought his run was unbelievable.

"I've had nothing but trouble with his feet, but hopefully now I'm on top of it."

Six-year-old Aphorism, also driven by Anthony, found himself four back on the pegs in his opening heat and from there could only manage 11^th.

The trainer admits he had hoped for better but said a late gear change - an anti choke was used to try and combat a breathing issue - did impact his performance saying: "if you cut that air off a bit you are not going to get the best ability out of him".

"He was a bit disappointing, don't get me wrong he's out of grade a bit too, but he's still a nice horse," he said.

For his Bathurst heat Aphorism has drawn barrier six and his opponents - which include round one heat winner King Of Swing - are also supremely talented .

Still, Frisby has a lot of time for the gelding who has won 15 races since joining his stable in 2019. He actually didn't anticipate Aphorism would make the cut and qualify for the Inter Dominion series.

"I was surprised he got in actually, he only got a guernsey because we are in our home state too, if we were in Victoria or Queensland he wouldn't have got a guernsey," he said.

"He's won a lot of races at the Bathurst track. When we got him he could only just win one at Penrith in 1:59, so he's come a long way, we've won 15 races with him."

READ MORE: Bathurst native Luke McCarthy enjoys an Inter Dominion heat double

OF the four Bathurst trainers taking part in this year's series Amanda Turnbull probably had the most reasons to be happy after Saturday night's opening round of heats at Menangle.

Her duo of Bundoran and Ellmers Image finished sixth and seventh respectively in their heats and weren't too far off the pace in the run for home.

They're each capable of going better but there's a stack of quality runners in their path.

Bundoran, going out from gate two in the opening heat this Wednesday night, is drawn to be in the mix but has series favourite King Of Swing to deal with once again.

Ellmers Image has the red-hot Expensive Ego to contend with directly to his heat at the start of his upcoming heat, plus an awkward draw out of gate six.

"I thought they both went pretty good and they didn't get beat by far. They were slowly run races so they weren't going to be much hope

"They're only over a mile this week so they should be running some good times. The Bathurst track is on fire at the moment so I expect them to go along a bit quick. It'll be tough for them again but we'll see how they go.

"They both had a bit of a break after Queensland and then just the two runs from a spell. They should be fitter for that and ready to go."

Turnbull will be hopeful her pair can be at their best upon a return to their home track.

Ellmers Image is a former Inter Dominion Consolation (2018) champion while Bundoran made waves as a dark horse Inter Dominion hope thanks to his dominant winter campaign at Menangle.

They've both earned their chance to race in this series, which is extra exciting for Turnbull in a year where the Inter Dominion makes a trip to her home track.

"It's really good to see," she said of the Bathurst heat.

"It's pretty cool having two horses entered in the biggest series going around."

READ MORE: Modest start for Bathurst's Inter Dominion contenders at Menangle's heats

IT'S hoped that the brilliantly-bred gelding Make Mine Memphis has a lot left to give for Hewitt, especially when he goes around in front of his home crowd this Wednesday night.

The son of Rock N Roll Heaven finished sixth at big odds when running behind Expensive Ego in his opening heat, and can keep the small hopes of an Inter Dominion finals appearance alive with a placing in his home attempt.

Hewitt's excited to see how his contender will fare in one of the best race meetings to grace the city's track.

"It's really great for the sport and for the town to have this heat here," he said.

"I'm hopeful we can get a decent run in our heat and earn some points again. A lot of it comes back to draws and luck in running. There's not a lot separating a lot of these horses but there are probably three to five horses who have an edge on the rest of them.

"As for the other 30-odd I don't believe that a whole lot splits them so most of it will come down to that luck. Hopefully I can get a decent run on Wednesday night."

Make Mine Memphis' gate three draw puts him in a position to be among the front half of the field should the start play out in his favour.

He'll have Amanda Turnbull's Bundoran directly to his inside while series favourite King Of Swing is almost guaranteed to take up the running despite his wide start on the front row.

What's especially encouraging for Hewitt coming into this year's Inter Dominion series is that Make Mine Memphis has been a picture of health this season.

He's hopeful that points towards extra longevity for his career.

"He hasn't been overraced, this horse. He had a long campaign in Queensland so he'd usually be looking for a freshen up been he's looking terrific. He's carrying plenty of weight, so we're hoping he can get through this series alright, and he should hopefully be able to race on for a couple more years," he said.

Hewitt has also trained another talented runner out of the former Queen Of The Pacific and Ladyship Mile champion Make Mine Cullen, Make Mine Heaven, who is headed for the breeding barn.

The Georges Plains trainer is currently working with a yet-to-be-named yearling who is the fourth foal out of the champion mare.

READ MORE: Wet Flipflops upsets favourites to post her first Australian win

STEVE Turnbull knows what kind of horse it takes to win Australasia's major harness racing prize.

After father Tony Turnbull claimed back-to-back editions of the Inter Dominion with the legendary Hondo Grattan in 1973 and '74 he emulated that glory with Smooth Satin in 2002.

It's nearly been 20 years since that Group 1 triumph, and Atomic Red is Turnbull's sole hope this season of grabbing a second Inter Dominion success before that anniversary arrives.

It's going to take something spectacular for Atomic Red to do so, after he came home last in his opening heat on Saturday, but Turnbull knows his Rocknroll Hanover gelding can do better.

"I think he can be better. The draw really buggered us up the other night. He didn't show any speed out of the gates, so he went back, and then they got home in 26. He can't run that quick," he said.

"I think he'll still find it pretty hard. As I've said before, it's about a month too early for me to get him back to where I had him before. He'll have to lift a lot more for him to be in this one."

But the big positive for Turnbull is that he'll have a runner in action during Bathurst's first time hosting an Inter Dominion heat.

"I think it's going to be a great night for the town, having this local race. I really hope that we can get a big crowd in," he said.

"It's always exciting when you can get even one runner in this race, it's what you always dream of getting."

"We've got that, it's just a pity that it's not one of the favourites," he laughed.

THE bumper nine-race Wednesday night meeting at the Bathurst Paceway commences with four Group 3 NSWBC Western Region Finals before the Inter Dominion heats are staged.

Those Group 3 finals will also feature the Turnbulls, Hewitt and Team Frisby, but the highlight of the evening will undoubtedly be the Inter Dominion heats which follow.

Racing gets under way at 6.03pm with the first of the Inter Dominion heats scheduled for 8.16pm.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: