2008 Trotters Series
Melbourne, Vic

2008 Seelite Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Final  $250,000 Semi-Finals:  23 February (Moonee Valley) Final:  1 March 2008
A decision by Kiwi trainer-driver Derek Balle in December to leave his horse Galleons Sunset NZ with Victorian trainer Chris Lang bore fruit at Moonee Valley on Saturday night when the 6YO gelding led from start to finish to win the $250,000 Seelite Windows & Doors Inter Dominion Trotters Championship.  When the odds-on favourite One Over Kenny NZ (Tony Herlihy) went for a gallop soon after the start, few would have then been surprised to see Galleons Sunset NZ lead all the way.  The big surprise was the remarkable odds of $31 it returned for a win.  In defeating Will Strapper (Todd Matthews) and My Rhythm Of The Night NZ (Anthony Butt), it provided a real consolation for trainer Lang after having Australia’s top trotter Sundons Gift NZ go amiss in the past few weeks.   When Galleons Sunset NZ joined his powerful stable at Nagambie, Lang then trained several of the best trotters in the land. Balle was then invited to retain the drive on the horse he had previously trained.  When Chris Lang failed to qualify any of his other members of the team for Saturday night, he refused to take over the drive on Galleons Sunset NZ, watching from over the fence for Balle to lead throughout.   Balle is no stranger to Melbourne trotting, having finished second with Martina H NZ to Sumthingaboutmaori in the 2004 Inter Dominion Final.   One of the reasons Balle had been keen for the horse remaining in Australia with Lang was how he had become convinced it raced better going the Melbourne way than it handled the reverse way of racing in Auckland. “It was a better horse when racing at Moonee Valley,” he declared after Saturday night’s victory.		Galleons Sunset NZ - 2008 Inter Dominion Trotting Champion

For trainer Lang, it capped off a remarkable effort for his own family.  Father Graeme had won two Inter Dominion Trotting Championships with Scotch Notch, and older brother Gavin had won this race with True Roman at Moonee Valley in 1988.   

The Phil Williamson-trained One Over Kenny NZ only recently returned to Melbourne with the undisputed reputation of being the No 1 trotter in Australasia.  In her semi-final the previous week she shocked most with an ordinary third to Will Trapper. 

Because of being a mare, her legion of fans were prepared to overlook that one disappointing effort.  She again started well “in the red” on Saturday night.  When she uncharacteristically went for a gallop inside the first 500 metres of the Final, so too did the hopes of most punters with her. 

New Zealand’s most successful Inter Dominion reinsman Tony Herlihy was able to give her cover into the race, and for a brief moment she appeared to be still a chance of being in at the finish.  But she was unable to finish it off as her reputation suggested she might be capable of still doing.   

For the winner of the Bill Collins Trotters Mile at Moonee Valley in December, and then appearing to be a more settled horse for Lang in several starts for him, all Galleons Sunset NZ did in betting moves Saturday night was to drift.  

Price assessor Bill Hutchison before the race labelled the gelding the “biggest overs” of a horse he had seen for ages in a major event at Moonee Valley.  It appears few were listening; such was the solid support of most forgiving punters who still rated the favourite a ‘good thing’. 

Will Trapper continued its much-improved recent form by dashing home along the sprint lane for second, edging out the visiting My Rhythm Of The Night NZ.  

Whatsundermykilt NZ (Daryl Douglas) and Viva La Fever (Brian Gath) ran their usual honest races to finish just behind the placegetters.