50th anniversary of Carclew’s 1976 Inter Dominion victory

Last Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of one of the great moments in Inter Dominion history — Carclew’s stunning victory in the 1976 Grand Final at Globe Derby Park.

Driven by a young Chris Lewis, Carclew caused a major boilover at 40/1 when he beat Western Australian champion Pure Steel, with NSW pacer Don’t Retreat finishing third. At just 19, Lewis became the youngest reinsman in the then 40-year history of the series to win an Inter Dominion Grand Final — a remarkable milestone for a driver who has since amassed more than 6000 winners and continues to compete at the highest level at age 70.

Carclew was bred by the Lewis family and carried the blood of the immortal Globe Derby. He was out of their outstanding mare Lulu’s Gem, who was crowned the 1976 Australian Broodmare of the Year. Lulu’s Gem also produced Auryan, the sire of the dam of Lucy’s Pride — winner of the SA Breeders Plate at two and the Southern Cross at three.

Five years after Carclew’s triumph, Lulu’s Gem produced another top performer in Pallaton, a smart free-for-all pacer who dominated open-class ranks in Western Australia during the early 1980s, winning the Bunbury, Pinjarra and Easter Cups for the Lewis family.

Carclew himself was a high-class performer beyond his Inter Dominion heroics. He won the SA Guineas at three and later added the Christmas Cup and several free-for-all victories in his home state.

In the 1976 series, Carclew failed to win a heat but qualified strongly with a second to local star Nevada Smoke on opening night and a third behind Victorian Royal Gaze in the final round of heats. Lewis, who began driving at 16 and only received his full licence in 1975, produced a masterful drive when it mattered most.

What a night it was — Saturday, February 21, 1976 — when a local outsider toppled the giants of the sport in front of a massive Adelaide crowd. A young driver announcing himself to the harness racing world, and a family-bred pacer etching his name into Inter Dominion folklore.

by Gary Newton for Harnesslink