Blacks A Fake

Blacks A Fake is a brown standardbred gelding that won the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Inter Dominion Championships, a record equalling feat.

Foaled on October 7, 2000, Blacks A Fake is a son of the mighty Fake Left, out of a Vanston Hanover mare Colada Hanover.

Up to March 1, 2008, including his 2008 Inter Dominion campaign, Blacks A Fake had raced 53 times for 40 wins, 8 seconds and 2 thirds, leading to $2,822,814AUD in prizemoney. He is now the highest stakes earner in Australian pacing history and has 6 Group One victories with more to come,

He currently has a fastest mile rate of 1.54.7, set on July 21, 2007 at Brisbane's Albion Park in the Garrad's Horse and Hound Sunshine Sprint.

In addition to his 3 Inter Dominion victories ( being only the second horse to achieve this distinguished level ) , he has also won the 2006 Victoria Cup and the 2008 Hunter Cup. His Hunter Cup win was made more remarkable by the fact he had to start from a 30 metre handicap and 10 metres behind any other runner.He came around the outside of every other runner to win in record time. His trainer had been reluctant to start in the race.

One of his few defeats came in the 2008 Ballarat Cup, after leading easily from barrier 1, local stayer Safari, who had broken the World Record for 2650m in his Bendigo Cup win, moved to his outside and actually lead from the one wide line for most of the last lap. As the two combatants entered the home straight Blacks A Fake led, but Safari pulled ahead midway down the straight. Over the final 50m Blacks A Fake again surged but was unable to reel in Safari. By the finish post, the two leaders had pulled some 10m away from the third placed Good Lookin Girl. The race compared favourably to many of the great racing duels in history. Blacks a Fake turned the tables in the final of the 2008 Inter Dominion with his third successive victory at the highest level and Safari failing to run a place.

He has been trained and driven by young Natalie Rasmussen throughout his entire career. Natalie has been very patient with the champion pacer. Blacks a Fake suffered a major injury in 2003 and it was only due to the outstanding faith and hard work from Natalie that "Blackie" was able to return to pacing history. Natalie has had to overcome crippling injuries in the early 2000's herself when it was thought that she would never be able to drive Pacers ever again. Natalie is the first woman in Australia to have trained and driven an Inter Dominion winner and the first Queenslander to win three.

Reference

[http://www.harness.org.au/ausbreed/reports/performance.cfm?horse_id=290977 Blacks A Fakes profile on Australian Breeding]