TASMANIA’S Inter Dominion hope Devendra will need to produce a top class performance in his final-round heat at Gloucester Park in Western Australia tonight if he is to make it into the $1.3 million final.
Devendra, trained and driven by James Rattray, won his first round heat by leading throughout and he followed up with one of the runs of the night in his second round heat at Bunbury on Tuesday night but he could still only manage to finish fifth.
Devendra has accrued 20 points and most pundits are predicting a horse will need at least 24 points to progress to the final.
Only the top 10 point scorers will tackle the final on December 13 and while Devendra is sitting third in the rankings (progressive point score) after two rounds of heats he would need to finish no further back than seventh in tonight’s heat to be guaranteed a final berth.
The winner in each heat receives 14 points with 11 for second, nine for third, seven for fourth and six for fifth reducing by one through to last place.
“There are a lot of scenarios that can play out that will determine what score you will need to get into the final but the number being bandied about is 24,” Rattray said.
“That means my horse would probably get into (the final) if he runs fourth in the last heat but it could be a point higher or lower depending on the outcome of the other heats.”
“The best thing is that my heat is the last on the program so I will know the point score of two thirds of the horses and that’s a bonus,” he said.
Devendra has drawn barrier nine, the outside of the front line and while he has been keen to lead in his first two heats that won’t be the case tonight.
“This is the crucial heat so my plan will be to go back and try and find a hole and then let him get into the race and hopefully run on and earn enough points to qualify for the final,” he said.