The star The Lagoon trainer-driver secured her chance with four-year-old gelding Bundoran, who posted a last-stride win in his Newcastle heat on Sunday night.

After being poised in 12th spot going into the last round of heats, Turnbull knew she needed some serious points if Bundoran was to make this Saturday night's Grand Final at Menangle.

But Turnbull is a driver who knows how to win on the big stage. She proved it again.

Bundoran drew gate one for the crunch Newcastle heat and firmed dramatically in late betting for the race to start as a $9 chance.

Turnbull let pre-race favourite Max Delight (Chris Alford) stroll to the front from gate two and took a perfect trail behind the classy Victorian hope.

A 58.2 seconds first half of his final mile gave Max Delight every chance and when he led by two metres into the home straight it looked as if the favourite would get the job done.

But in a display of her supreme driving skill, Turnbull got Bundaron out late and her gelding unleashed a blistering sprint to the line. He covered the final quarter in 26.9 seconds to win by a head.

At the time the winning mile rate of 1:53.2 stood as a track record and though the mark was bettered later in the evening by King of Swing, it still booked Turnbull and her gelding a spot in the decider.

It is her first appearance in the grand final, though she did win the 2018 consolation final with Ellmers Image.

IT wasn't a win, but Bathurst horseman Anthony Frisby probably deserved the drive of the night in the final round of the Inter Dominion heats at Newcastle on Sunday.

Not many people expected Frisby to feature aboard Our Uncle Sam, the gelding trained by his father Chris Frisby a rank $101 outsider for his heat.

While budding superstar Expensive Ego scored another outstanding win - as expected - to make it a clean sweep of all his heats, what Frisby did with Our Uncle Sam was arguably more impressive.

Though the seven-year-old gelding, who was runner-up in the 2018 Inter Dominion Grand Final, had been running well he'd not been able to show his best.

Team Frisby knew only a win or a second placing in the Newcastle heat would give him a shot at getting through to the Grand Final.

It was a chance Anthony Frisby seized.

Our Uncle Sam sat one out and three back early before Frisby pushed out on a three wide move with a lap to go.

It was a move which got Our Uncle Sam into the death seat, eye-balling Expensive Ego as they headed into the back straight.

The pair went stride for stride and while Expensive Ego managed to fight off the challenge, Our Uncle Sam fought all the way to the line to finish a 1.6m second.

SINCE his days growing up in Bathurst Luke McCarthy has gone on to become one of Australia's most successful drivers and yet there is still one major prize - an Inter Dominion Grand Final win - that has eluded him.

He's driven in eight of them but thus far he's not managed to finish any better than third - Slipnslide (2006), Excel Stride (2013) and For A Reason (2014, 2015) all getting close but not close enough.

However, this Saturday night is shaping to be the Inter Dominion decider in which McCarthy delivers.

Luke McCarthy and his trainer-wife Belinda - who are based in Cobbitty - will supply four of the final favourites with the unbeaten King Of Swing and Expensive Ego as well as Spirit Of St Louis and Alta Orlando.

It is King Of Swing that shapes as the best chance and the six-year-old stallion had Newcastle locals shaking their heads in awe in Sunday's final round of heats.

McCarthy's stable star broke the track record as he rated 1:51.4 to wallop a class field in heat eight.

He cruised to a four-metre metre win over pole-marker Balraj (Jack Trainor), with Triple Eight (Greg Sugars) a fast-finishing third.

With three wins from three heats, rivals would have been scratching their heads trying to figure out ways to beat the McCarthy stable star and the Bathurst native is rapt with his efforts so far.

"He couldn't blow a candle out, we can't wait for the final," McCarthy said.

"Maybe I should have gone a bit slower.

"He's just an amazing horse, to go out and put this time on the board ... he really didn't feel like he was going that quickly.

"This horse just trains himself. He's such a pleasure to have around; he doesn't need a lot of work."

Expensive Ego was almost as impressive as King Of Swing as he also advanced to the decider undefeated.

He worked hard to find the front in a 59.2 opening half of the mile with quarters of 27.7 and 31.5, and when the charges came from back in the field, he put up a 28.8 third quarter.

McCarthy's favourite was pushed hard by Anthony Frisby aboard Our Uncle Sam, but he simply refused to surrender in the straight with a 27.2 final quarter for a mile rate of 1:54.3.

McCarthy was naturally thrilled with Expensive Ego's effort.

"That was a massive effort to fight off the others," said the champion reinsman.

"I didn't even need to pull the blinders in the straight as he fended them all off in the run home."

While King Of Swing is widely acknowledged as the best pacer in Australia now, Expensive Ego must be closing fast.

As racecaller Fred Hastings marvelled as they crossed the line: "If this horse doesn't win this Inter Dominion Championship, then he'll probably win the next one."

King Of Swing is rated the $2.10 favourite for the decider, Expensive Ego the $3 second elect.

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