Village Kid wins 1986 Brisbane Interdominions

The Interdominion Pacing Championships were first held in Perth in 1936. Next month the series will be run in Brisbane.

Bruce Stewart looks back at some the early champions of the iconic series.

Following his second to Preux Chevalier in the 1985 Interdominion Pacers Grand Final in Melbourne, Village Kid went one better in the Brisbane series of 1986.

In what was touted as the Golden Jubilee Series, the 1986 Interdominions were held at the reconstructed Albion Park venue on the newly formed 1000 metre circuit.

The series for the first time was raced from behind the mobile with a total of $356,000 up for grabs over the four nights. The heats were run for $12,000 over 1609 metres on the first two nights with the third night heats raced over 2100 metres.

The pacers Grand Final was worth $200,000.

West Australian pacer Village Kid trained by Bill Horn and driven by Chris Lewis went through his heats unbeaten.

In the final, Village Kid led from the start and without being driven out, he had four lengths to share over Vanderford with Line On finishing third.

Village Kid’s time of 2-30.9 slashed almost two seconds off Popular Arm’s Australasian record. The winning mile rate for the 2100 metres was a sensational 1-55.6.

Village Kid was bred in New Zealand by Irvin Beherns and Phil Sargent and was the second Interdominion champion to pass through Beherns hands. The other was Markovina.

20,500 fans attended the final night of the Brisbane Carnival and spent $462,000 through the tote while bookmakers holdings were $800,000.

This year’s Interdominion Series will be held at Albion Park in Brisbane with heat on Saturday 5^th July and Saturday 12^th July with the Grand Final on Saturday 19^th July.

Harnesslink’s Tony Milanese will have same night coverage of all three nights.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink