FOUR TIMES WINNER OF INTER DOMINION PACING CHAMPIONSHIPS
MOST STARTS IN INTER DOMINION CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
(P.2, 1:58.7; 3, 1:58; 1:53.7)

Blacks A Fake earned his entry to Hall of Fame as winner of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Inter Dominion Championship Grand Finals, and re-affirmed that status with a brilliant history-making fourth victory in 2010. That bettered the record of Our Sir Vancelot NZ, winner of three Grand Finals, and extended his Australasian record for standardbred prizemoney to $3.587 million. As a 10 year old he recorded his lifetime best mile rate of 1:53.7, and he built an impressive resume during his career.

He became the leading Australasian standardbred pacer of all time at end 2008 with winnings of $3.084 million, and his overall achievements include eleven Group 1 races staged on six different tracks across Australia. In 105 career starts, Blacks A Fake won 72 races and was placed in a further 24 starts – a remarkable effort not equalled by any other Australian pacer.

His sire Fake Left USA P.2, 1:54; 3, 1:51.4 winner of $USD314,417 is the only Australian based stallion to sire three millionaire dollar pacers, the others being Be Good Johnny ($1,656,489) and Miss Galvinator ($1,148,446). By the end of the 2010/2011 season, Fake Left's progeny included 1048 individual winning performers from 1375 starters since his arrival in Australia in 1993, including the gelding Fake Denario NZ P.1:49.4 and mares Pleasing Package P.1:50.4, and Miss Galvinator (1:50.6).

His Australasian foal crop to the end of the 2010/2011 season totals 1,530. His produce to date have won over $54.5 million and on current indications his stock may still be racing for the next decade and may achieve $60 million in prizemoney. Fake Left is already the Sire of 71 in 1:55.0.

Although he died in 2001 there was enough stored semen to carry on for some years albeit with severely reduced foaling crops. Fake Left USA sired his greatest number of foals (328) in 1999 and stood most of his life at Egmont Stud on the famous Darling Downs in southern Queensland.

Fake Left USA was a 1989 son of the super sire Cam Fella, sire of twenty in the 1:50 list, and as a two year old the colt won five and placed in four races. It was as a three year old that in the words of his owners "he's finally developed into the kind of horse we expected him to be" after winning six races in the Midwest just prior to competing in the 1992 Little Brown Jug.

The 1992 Little Brown Jug is still considered to be one of the greatest contests for that race of all time matched only by Life Sign's 1993 win. Fake Left beat out another great colt in Western Hanover who also has since proven a leading sire in North America.

Fake Left USA was from Madam Madusa (F1977) P.1:55.2 $USD 164,845 dam of sixteen foals of whom fourteen had time records including ten in two minutes-four of those in 1:55. Madam Madusa was by Albatross and traces maternally to another Flora Temple (there are over twenty mares duplicating the name of the famous race mare), however, this one was foaled in Kentucky by Rattler from a Cannon's Whip mare. Transferred north to Massachusetts Flora Temple won a number of races around the Boston area, whilst her grand daughter (Blondella) producing Uhleen (F1907) by Bingen a full sister to the champion trotter Uhlan (F1904) Tr.1:58.

Uhlan was the wonder trotter of his time and some think of all time; certainly some of his performances deserve that ranking. Harnessed to a running mate in a four wheeled waggon Uhlan trotted in 1:54.5 in 1913 and in an exhibition ran a quarter in 27 seconds flat. Uhlan also ran another exhibition furlong in 13 seconds at Curles Neck, Va. All three exhibitions were timed without dispute and were far beyond the times of those days being put up shortly after his return from winning performances in Russia.

The dam of Blacks A Fake is Colada Hanover (F1990) P.3, 2:01.9 and winner of $10,159 by Vanston Hanover USA P.2,2:00.6; 3,1:55; 1:53.4 winner of $239,552. Standing also at Egmont Stud, Queensland, prior to the arrival of Fake Left USA, Vanston Hanover USA was by Albatross and tracing maternally to Netty Clay he sired 398 individual winners from 620 starters his fastest being Masterton P.1:50.4. As a broodmare sire, with many of his mares located nearby on the Darling Downs, seventeen of his top twenty race performers are by Fake Left USA, the fastest being All Eyes On Me P.1:51.

Colada Hanover had nine winning progeny 1996-2010 from thirteen foals, the fastest other than Blacks A Fake being Lord of the North P.1:53.2.

The grand dam of Blacks A Fake is Pina Colada NZ (F1979) P.2, 2:08.3ss; 3,2:04.2; 2:03.9 by H T Luca USA (F1968) P,2, 2:03; 3,1:58.6 winner of $USD155,423. H T Luca USA was by Henry T Adios USA and traces maternally to Mambrino Beauty. Pina Colada NZ was the dam of fourteen foals from 1985 to 1998 including seven individual winners the fastest being Left by Colada (F1998) P.1:57.5.

The balance of the total of ten generations of the maternal family traces back to the foundation mare Red Diamond (or First Water family) having a heavy strike rate of winners and include Inter Dominion Championship, Derby and Cups winners in New Zealand as well as in Australia. Of the ten maternal mares in descent to Red Diamond's Dam seven are winners and all told have directly produced sixty nine individual winners from one hundred and two foals without taking into account any of the off shoots of these ten mares. Red Diamond (F1907) P.2:32 was by the pacer Prince Imperial and her family predominately follows the pacing gait.

Blacks A Fake is a brown gelding and was foaled in 2000 the breeder being RH Pointer (Nominees PL) of Queensland. Having four starts in the last month of his two year old season for three wins and a placing, his best performance that season was 1:58.7 at the Gold Coast track in Queensland followed by two wins at the Metropolitan track Albion Park in Brisbane.

That season also marked the beginning of his partnership with driver Natalie (NC) Rasmussen, who continued to drive the gelding in all but three of his 105 starts.

As a three year old Blacks A Fake had ten starts for seven wins including the Qbred Triad Series Final and the Qbred Breeders Classic. His wins were noted by onlookers as gutsy performances, most with margins of a neck or less, an attribute of toughness he carried on to his later years of racing. His best performance as a three year old was in a 2138 metre race at Albion Park rating 1:58.

After his Triad Series win on 15/5/2004 Blacks A Fake was put aside for seventeen months with a curbed hock injury, and he did not race again until 11/10/2005, missing his entire four year old season.

Resuming at Albion Park as a five year old Blacks A Fake put together nine successive wins mainly at Albion Park but also at Gold Coast and Redcliffe to the end of 2005. Regular driver Natalie Rasmussen was doubly pleased, now having added training responsibilities to her repertoire.

The connections decided to race in Victoria as a lead up to the 2006 Tasmanian Inter Dominion Championship at Hobart. Blacks A Fake at first found the competition a little strong running second at Moonee Valley and also at Yarra Valley, followed by a twelfth in the Moonee Valley Cup. All three races were from standing starts and although the gelding had won once from starting mode it seemed he had become unsettled with it.

Travelling to Hobart, Blacks A Fake won his first night heat over a mile in 1:55.5 but then only ran tenth when the next series of heats were held at Launceston. Back in Hobart Blacks A Fake won the third night heat over 2579 metres in a rating of 1:57.6 to become the favoured horse to win the Grand Final.

The $1.5 Million Grand Final of the 2006 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship in Hobart on 2/4/2006 had caused a controversy because of its sponsorship by Betfair but the politics off course had no bearing on the race itself as competition was fierce for the richest race ever conducted in harness racing in Australia.

Added to the overall excitement of this series was the fact that Hobart had a new harness racing track of 1000 metres circumference at Elwick Racecourse after racing for many years at the Hobart Showgrounds track (only 750 metres).

The Grand Final raced over 2579 metres turned out to be a tough and speedy event. The last mile (1609 metres) was run in 1:57.9, and the last half in 56.7 with Blacks A Fake holding on with a last quarter in 27.9 to beat Karloo Mick and Slipnslide for the $900,000 first prizemoney. His driver Natalie Rasmussen became the first female driver to win the Inter Dominion Grand Final.

Put aside for some months after returning to Brisbane Blacks A Fake won the $30,000 Campbells Pace at Albion Park on 15/7/2006 over 2138 metres in a rate of 1:55.1 his fastest lifetime performance so far. In his next start the gelding finished third in the Sunshine Sprint to Cobbity Classic (1:54.2) and then rounded out his five year old season winning the $75,000 Medallist Pace over 2680 metres in a rating of 1:58.1. His results were recognised with an Achiever of the Year Award (Queensland).

With prizemoney of $1,109,963 for the season, the connections of the gelding, still only five years of age, anticipated he had many more wins in store, but looking forward to the defence of his Inter Dominion Championship title in Adelaide they had some doubts about the possibility of extreme hot weather conditions in early January, 2007.

Resuming on 17/10/2006 Blacks A Fake led home at Albion Park rating 1:55.9 over 1660 metres, and after two further wins there he was selected in the 2006 $500,000 Miracle Mile field at Harold Park. There he was a close second to another Queenslander by Fake Left USA in Be Good Johnny who won in 1:54.3. Still in Sydney a week later "Blackie" won the Group One Treuer Memorial of $110,000 over 2540 metres.

Travelling again to Melbourne, the gelding's connections had yet to confirm that he would defend his title and start in the Inter Dominion Championship, with the first heat in Melbourne and the remainder of the events in Adelaide. In the meantime Blacks A Fake scored in the $325,000 Victoria Cup at Moonee Valley in 1:58.5 over 2575 metres.

In the first heat of the Inter Dominion Championship at Moonee Valley two weeks later Blacks A Fake could only manage fifth placing over the same distance as the Victoria Cup but in a much slower rating of 2:02.1. A few days later in Adelaide on 3/1/2007 he ran second to Be Good Johnny (1:54.7) over 1800 metres and then won the third heat rating 2:00 over 2230 metres.

With the heat not proving as difficult a problem as was anticipated "Blackie" all of a sudden again became the horse to beat in the Grand Final, albeit a new element of three New Zealand contenders had to be factored in to the equation.

Of $500,000 the 2007 Inter Dominion Championship at Globe Derby Park on 13/1/2007 attracted a huge attendance and the patrons were not disappointed as the competition did not let Blacks A Fake have an easy race at any time. Although the three New Zealand horses came at him in the straight the gelding held off Winforu NZ, Foreal NZ and Tribute NZ with Be Good Johnny in fifth place.

His next engagements were not until mid 2007, when he recorded 4 more wins and a second at Albion Park, with the Winter Cup at 2680m in late July being his major contest along with the Sunshine Sprint over 1660m where he ran a 1:54.7 mile rate, his fastest lifetime performance to date. His Horse of the Year Award (Queensland) confirmed his status as a high performer.

The outbreak of equine influenza (EI) then interrupted his career, when he was one of the first horses in Queensland to contract the disease which led to racing being suspended in several states across Australia. It was some four months before he would race again, resuming at Albion Park with another win (November 24th).

After that, Trainer/Driver Natalie Rasmussen began preparing Blacks A Fake to defend his Inter Dominion title, with the Moonee Valley Cup as the first step. This he won (19th January 2008), followed by a second placing in the Ballarat Cup a week later, beaten home by the emerging performer Safari. An emphatic last stride victory in the Hunter Cup followed (3rd February) with a 3000m world record set off a 30m mark. Blacks A Fake clocked a 1:58.9 mile rate that took 1.7seconds off Sting Lika Bee's 2007 effort, and made him the first horse in 12 years to win Australia's richest handicap off such a daunting handicap. This was all the more impressive as the horse, along with other contestants, had been held in a 48-hour lock-down at Geelong prior to the race as part of the newly introduced security measures.

This performance qualified Blacks A Fake straight into the Inter Dominion semi-finals, for which Harness Racing Victoria had adopted a new format with cut-throat qualifying heats and sudden death semi-finals. Qualifying heats were run at Geelong, on 16th February, and semi-finals at Moonee Valley (23rd February). Blacks A Fake took the honours in one semi-final, holding off Divisive, but it was the other semi-final that created much interest when Safari smashed the track 2575m record to win. This attracted heavy backing for Safari whose price continued to shorten in the lead-up to the final.

In the Final on 1st March, Blacks A Fake started in barrier 6, in front of a crowd of 12,369, Victoria's biggest harness racing crowd in years. He did not show the gate speed many expected, allowing Smoken Up (Lance Justice) to assume the lead unchallenged. However, "Blackie" went forward when Safari (Brian Gath) made a move from the back, and took the lead when Lance Justice surprisingly handed up to Rasmussen at the 1800m mark. He fought off a challenge from Safari near the home bend, and won in an impressive mile rate of 1:56.4, just one-tenth of a second behind the record Safari had set in a semi-final. The heavily backed Divisive flashed home second, with Smoken Up third.

This made Blacks A Fake just the fourth horse to win the Final as a 7 year old since 1985, and Rasmussen was quoted as saying: "he is a champion; I'm so proud of him and I love him"; "I think he's proved he's one of the all-time greats".

After this impressive third Grand Final win, Blacks A Fake was rested before coming back to win the FFA at Albion Park (10th May) in Brisbane's Winter Carnival. Unfortunately, the gelding was injured soon after and did not race again until much later in the year. However, his strong results led to his being crowned 2007/08 Grand Circuit Champion when the other leading contender for the Championship, Smoken Up, faded badly after a tough run in the Trans Tasman at Albion Park in May 2008.

Further honours came with the national 2008 Horse of the Year award - his second successive title, plus third straight Aged Pacer and Aged Horse/Gelding Pacer awards. These were capped with two State Horse of the Year awards when Victoria and Queensland both formally recognised "Blackie's" achievements on their tracks.

He began 2008/09 on the sidelines, but quickly re-established his presence with four straight wins upon resuming in October 2008. These included a Grand Circuit double in his home state – Queensland Pacing Championship and the Trans-Tasman – both new victories added to his high profile CV. He also gained three bonus points for the Watpac ID09 series, and further demonstrated his staying power by remaining unbeaten over 2680m at Albion Park. Three unexpected defeats followed, including the invitational Miracle Mile and the Victoria Cup, with a back muscle problem and virus then interrupting his lead-up to the 2009 $1million Inter Dominion and a tilt at an unprecedented fourth and consecutive title.

Despite a shortened preparation, "Blackie" staked an early claim with a convincing Preliminary Heat win from a difficult inside second row barrier draw, setting a lifetime best mile rate of 1:54.1 as an eight year old. He went into the final as leading points scorer (30) over Auckland Reactor (29) and Karloo Mick (29), and started in the favourable barrier one position. History was denied, however, when he was beaten narrowly on the line by American import Mr Feelgood, after leading in a fast tempo contest, pressured by an over-racing Auckland Reactor. Rasmussen declared "he tried his heart out, and I was proud of him".

He finished the season on a high note, with a dominant third win in the Brisbane Winter Cup (from Karloo Mick and Be Good Johnny), and shared the honours as Grand Circuit champion for 2008/09 plus Queensland Horse of the year with Mr Feelgood.

A familiar pattern followed, with a short break leading up to a back-to-back Queensland Pacing Champion title win over a marathon 2609m, run for the first time at the Gold Coast track due to grandstand repairs at Albion Park. This form however, did not carry into the Miracle Mile (7th place) nor the Victoria Cup (3rd place), and doubt was cast over his running in the 2010 Inter Dominion (ID) in Sydney. There was much interest in that decision, as he stood to join the great Caduceus as the only pacer to qualify for 5 ID Grand Finals, and it would be the anniversary of Caduceus' 1960 victory at Albion Park (also as a 9 year old). It was an opportunity to better the triple wins of Our Sir Vancelot and driver Brian Hancock as well.

Positive lead-up results in early 2010 convinced trainer/driver Natalie Rasmussen to take up the challenge in the re-vamped ID10, with only two rounds of heats prior to the final at the new Menangle Park Paceway, NSW. Strong heat performances saw Blacks A Fake post a track and an Australian mile rate record of 1:55.3 over 2030m at Newcastle in defeating Mr Feelgood, the defending champion, despite racing with mesh protecting an infected eye. He went into the 2300m final with two heat wins (second on 29.5 points) up against favourite Monkey King (31 points). Blacks A Fake withstood relentless pressure and raced three wide for the last 800m to score an historical victory over Monkey King and Smoken up, in an individual best time of 1:53.8 – a world record over the distance.

This amazing achievement topped an outstanding career, and earned him "living legend" status. His four titles were won in four different cities (Hobart, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney), and Rasmussen declared "he is a sensational horse". With earnings then past the $4 million mark, Blacks A Fake became a serious challenge to former North American star Gallo Blue Chip for the honour of richest standardbred pacer of all time. He was also crowned 2009/10 Queensland and Australian Horse of the Year.

His next campaign started quietly, and a cardiac arrhythmia episode forced a brief spell prior to a consecutive third Gold Coast Cup win (October 2010) and a gallant fourth to Mr Feelgood in the Queensland Pacing Championship. Another close finish where Smoken Up prevailed meant the Miracle Mile still eluded him, but the cracking pace which produced an Australasian mile record of 1:50.3 showed Blacks A Fake was not winding down. He finished 2010 with two local Cup wins, and took a short break, while several rivals – Mr Feelgood, Smoken Up and Im Themightyquinn – each won top races over the Christmas period.

Another problem due to a dramatic electrolyte imbalance then interrupted his preparations for the March 2011 Inter Dominion in Christchurch, and a severe regional earthquake added to the uncertainty of "Blackie" making the trip for his first ever race outside Australia. Several other factors complicated the situation too – ID11 was transferred to Auckland, with its right-handed running direction, and "Blackie", affected by a viral infection, was unexpectedly beaten by Be Good Johnny in a lead-up race. Nevertheless, trainer/driver Rasmussen made a last minute decision to travel, and they qualified for the Pacing Final, ranked fourth, after a fourth and a second in the heats. This made "Blackie" the first pacer to contest six ID finals – breaking his previous record of five, held jointly with the great Caduceus.

Strong performances by Smoken Up, Im Themightyquinn and Mr Feelgood gave them higher rankings in the field, but the barrier draw favoured "Blackie" with a number two position, while his top rivals were second row starters in the 2700 metre race. As expected, Rasmussen took the lead and dictated up front, but at the half-way mark he was headed by Smoken Up, the eventual winner from Im Themightyquinn. Blacks A Fake came in a courageous third, and Rasmussen believed "he performed up to his peak" in what was his 100th race. He was subsequently promoted to second place, following Smoken Up’s disqualification. Click here for interview with Natalie prior to the 2011 Inter Dominion.

His outstanding achievements were again recognized at ID11 with the inaugural Our Sir Vancelot Distinguished Service Award, highlighting his 19 Inter Dominion starts for 11 firsts, 4 seconds, and 1 third. He moved past Gallo Blue Chip with prizemoney close to $4,465,042, coming from 100 starts, and an amazing 69% success rate with 69 wins.

At ten years old, Blacks a Fake had little to prove, and Rasmussen began monitoring his program on a race-by-race basis. Back in training in mid 2011 after a spell, "Blackie" scored three wins in the lead-up to the Brisbane Winter Carnival, including a second Sunshine Sprint (G2) in a fast 1:54.5 mile rate. He started favourite for the Winter Cup on 23 July 2011, and finished a spirited second to Georgetown, in what became his farewell performance. Pre-race speculation was confirmed with an on-track announcement of "Blackie's" retirement, which prompted a standing ovation for the popular champion after a lap of honour with Rasmussen. A mural at local Albion Park Raceway highlights their shared achievements, and the Winter Cup is now known as The Blacks A Fake.

He leaves racing as the world's richest pacer, and as 'Mister Inter Dominion" Brian Hancock declared, with "a phenomenal record which speaks for itself". A regime of long breaks between periods of racing and expert management by trainer/driver Natalie Rasmussen complemented the gelding's ability, and led to an amazing career of 72 wins, 24 placings from 105 starts, with prizemoney of $4,575,438. In his eight years of competing, "Blackie" missed being placed in just nine races (9%).

Hopefully Blacks A Fake will be rewarded with a long, uneventful retirement at the Rasmussen family property, along with companion Simon (ex-pacer Simons Left). His many fans would strongly endorse his trainer/driver's words: "It's been a big ride with this horse. I've had lots of great moments with him".

* includes NZ performances

race footage
	2010 Pacing Final Race Footage courtesy Harness Racing New South Wales
	2008 Pacing Final Race Footage courtesy Harness Racing Victoria and Provideo
	2007 Pacing Final Race Footage copyright © John Rothe
	2006 Pacing Final Race footage courtesy EVD Pty Ltd

pedigree
	Pedigree - Blacks A Fake