Don Hugo chasing another of harness racing's biggest prizes

CHAMPION trainer Luke McCarthy already has his sights set on another huge Menangle target with freshly crowned TAB Eureka winner Don Hugo.

McCarthy said the iconic $500,000 Inter Dominion final, slated for December 14 at Sydney's home of harness racing, was the next target.

"He's made the decision for us with a win like that," McCarthy said. "He's just kept stepping-up each campaign. I still think he's on the rise.

"He's a tough horse, so the format of the Inter Dominion won't worry him. That's where we are aiming. I think he'll make an ideal Inter Dominion horse."

The NSW Inter Dominion starts with heats at Newcastle on November 29, moves to Bathurst for round two on December 4 and then heads to Menangle for the last round of qualifying heats on December 7 before the final.

McCarthy has some unfinished business with Inter Dominion finals at Menangle.

The last time the track hosted the final, McCarthy's stable "won" the race with Expensive Ego, only to be stripped of it in the stewards' room on protest from the connections of Boncel Benjamin.

Although McCarthy has driven almost 3000 winners, including 76 at Group 1 level and now two TAB Eureka finals, he is yet to win an Inter Dominion final.

He has won 11 qualifying heats of the series and driven in 10 finals for best results of four third placings, the most recent on For A Reason in 2015.

"I've been lucky to win so many big races and drive some great horses, it would be fantastic to add an Inter Dominion," he said.

To do so, Don Hugo will have to overcome one of the modern day pacing greats, Leap To Fame, who ran second in last year's TAB Eureka.

Since then, Leap To Fame has totally dominated the sport's major open-class races with wins in last year's Brisbane Inter Dominion, along with the Hunter Cup, Miracle Mile and Blacks A Fake this year.

In contrast, TAB Eureka runner-up Bay Of Biscay has the luxury of dropping back to his own age group for races like the Victoria Derby and Breeders Crown in coming weeks. He was the only three-year-old in this TAB Eureka.

"What a run," trainer Emma Stewart said. "People questioned us running a three-year-old, but it never bothered us. He's big, strong and has really matured with travel and strong racing over the past few months.

"If he'd been behind the leader, rather than three-back (on the inside), he'd have won."

Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.

Luke McCarthy sends Don Hugo to victory in The Tab Eureka. Photo: Jason McCawley/Getty Images.