Inter Dominion 2020: Organisers confident event can go ahead

The immediate future of the Inter Dominion is in grave danger, with Victoria looming as the only possible lifeline for the famed harness race after an extraordinary emergency meeting this week.

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Victoria is looming as the only possible lifeline for the Inter Dominion to be run this year.

The Inter Dominion Event Committee (IDEC) met this week for what was effectively an emergency meeting following NSW’s request to not hold the Inter Dominion in Sydney as scheduled for November/December.

NSW reiterated its stance and went a step further by also stating it would not contribute financially in 2020 as part of it’s previous commitment to the existing hosting with Victoria and NZ.

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The 2020 Inter Dominion is likely to be held away from scheduled hosts NSW.

It’s even more dire with NZ, who effectively declared it was withdrawing from the Inter Dominion roster indefinitely given the entire racing industry’s financial uncertainty in the country.

“NSW and NZ have no desire to conduct or contribute to an Inter Dominion this year. They are unwilling to consider any options,” IDEC chairman Michael Taranto said. “Beyond that, NZ is unable to commit to contributing to an Inter Dominion again.

“We are unsure where this leaves the current hosting agreement and IDEC is taking advice on this.”

Tiger Tara won the event when it was held in Victoria.

The existing hosting roster between Victoria, NSW and NZ was supposed to run for another seven years, but that’s now in tatters.

“As far as this year goes, Victoria wishes to discuss options, but we haven’t gone any further than that,” Taranto said.

Harness Racing Victoria Chairman Dale Monteith said: “We want to leave it open at this stage. We are running out of time and funding is a challenge, but we are not saying no at this stage.”

Victoria hosted the 2018 Inter Dominion final at Melton and is currently due to host it again in November/December, next year.

Taranto has previously declared June 30 as a deadline for confirming whether or not there will be an Inter Dominion this year, but insiders said the end of this month was crunch time.

In better news, Taranto confirmed Racing Queensland had formally requested to host the Inter Dominion again, but it’s likely to be in future rather than this year.