Will the Hunter boast its own Inter Dominion champion in 2021?

Hometown trainer Roy Roots Jnr certainly hopes so as he prepares local hope The Black Prince for the series, which begins at Club Menangle on Saturday 27 November.

The prestigious carnival then rolls into Bathurst on Wednesday 1 December and the Newcastle Harness Racing Club’s International Paceway on Sunday 5 December.

After three rounds of heats, the finals will take place at Club Menangle on Saturday 11 December, with $500,000 up for grabs for the pacers and $15,000 for the trotters.

Originally ranked seventh in the series, The Black Prince now sits at fourth, offering Roots Jnr plenty of optimism.

“He’ll be very competitive,” he said.

“He’s had a really good preparation – and is going in fresh.

“He’ll have no trouble handling it.

“I think one of the advantages he has over his rivals is that he’s more of a racehorse.

“A lot of the other horses are one-dimensional.

“He can come from anywhere in the field.

“But, at this point, it’s all about securing points and making the final.”

The 2018 Newcastle Horse of the Year, owned by Paul Borg, enters the field in great form.

The seven-year-old bay gelding – by Bettor’s Delight (USA) out of My Style (NZ), recently captured the Newcastle Mile and Len Smith Mile.

“He’s won two Group 1s this season,” Roots Jnr said.

“So, when he comes through that gate, it’s race day.

“He knows what to do… as a trainer, that’s want you want.”

Roots Jnr is also buoyed by the fact the third leg of the Inter Dominion Championships will be staged at the Newcastle International Paceway, at Broadmeadow.

“He loves his local track,” he told the Newcastle Weekly.

“He’s raced here a fair bit over the years, along with most of his trackwork.

“The Black Prince knows the place well.

“So, I’m hoping that hometown advantage will come to the fore.

“Taking out the Newcastle Mile [here] was a highlight for us so far.

“To win it was a dream come true.

“It was a great night.

“It’s a race I’ve always wanted to win as a kid.

“If we could replicate that on 5 December it would be wonderful.”

The Black Prince, who enjoys a 30% winning strike rate – with 21 victories from 71 starts – is expected to be joined in the series by local trotters Bright Energy and Royal Gamble.

Get all the latest Newcastle news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Newcastle Weekly Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.