24 August 2020 | Darren Clayton
Catch up on the week’s Queensland harness racing action thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
Ron Sallis has been in the sport long enough to know that with every up there is a down, and the trick is trying to ensure the ups exceed the downs.
The past week has been no different for the former North Queenslander, where if luck had have shifted marginally to his side of the ledger, he would have trained a winner at each of the four meetings from Wednesday to Sunday where he had runners.
The official results however will show that Sallis trained two winners for the week – one at Albion Park and one at Redcliffe, taking his season tally to 63 wins.
“It certainly has been a week of ups and downs that’s for sure, like a roller-coaster,” Sallis said.
“However, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Keeping his numbers capped at twelve horses in work allows Sallis and his wife Stacey the opportunity to have a good-sized racing team balanced with an absence of the need to employ any staff.
“It’s the perfect set-up, I have a six-horse jogger so can complete jog days with two trips if I need to and other days can just take them out for a gallop and really enjoy the lifestyle,” Sallis said.
And making regular trips to the races certainly isn’t an issue as Ron points out “I’m happy to take four horses to four different meetings, I like to be selective where I race them.”
Taking one horse to the Wednesday meeting at Redcliffe, Burmach led the field for every step bar the one that counted, with the gelding grabbed as the finishing post arrived, beaten the barest possible margin.
Despite the narrow defeat, the ever-positive Sallis remained upbeat.
“He was narrowly beaten but he is always thereabouts, he has finished second 10 times since I took him over,” he said.
In fact since preparing Burmach, the gelding has the figures of 37: 4-11-4 proving to be a consistent earner for connections.
Another to sport the orange, green Shamrock and black sleeve silks is Valoroso Hanover, who is nowhere near as consistent as his stablemate, Burmach.
A horse that could quite possibly have several versions of himself, it was the winning version that turned up on Sunday to round out the week on a high.
“His form is definitely like my week,” Ron exclaimed.
A former Penrith track record holder, the gelding was at his best in scoring a tough victory at The Triangle following a pair of runs that were well below his best.
It was Saturday night’s Albion Park meeting where the highlight of the week was achieved when Elms Creek utilised the passing lane to continue his recent vein of form in winning the second race on the card.
Making full use of his inside gate, he secured the perfect run in transit before finishing hard up the passing lane to score.
Only small in stature, Elms Creek is certainly a horse Ron and Stacey appreciate.
“He just tries so hard every week, he always puts in and I would love a stable full of them just like him that’s for sure.”
THE BAD
Like every good roller-coaster there is a drop and that came at the Friday meeting.
Taking Springfield Spirit, Comply Or Die and Our Ridgy Didge to the races for the Albion Park night card, there looked to be a strong chance that a double for the Sallis stable was on the cards.
“I know that you can go to the races with horses that look like they should just win but you know what, you just can’t think that because that’s when something will happen,” Sallis points out.
That was certainly the case with Springfield Spirit, with the excitement at the horse sprinting clear to victory soon tempered with the fact that no all-clear was given.
After watching the patrol footage, Springfield Spirit was disqualified from its first placing after driver Lachie Manzelmann was deemed to have taken an unfair advantage by racing inside marker pegs after the leader had shifted wider.
Just one race later, Our Ridgy Didge, a pacer bred and owned by Sallis was sent out as a hot favourite to win after landing barrier one.
Again, it was a case of what might have been for the three-year-old, forced to settle for third placing after finishing five metres in arrears of the winner.
“He is a horse that has taken a bit to straighten out, he has been a handful, but he is just so spoilt,” Sallis said.
“He was foaled right next to the house and I bred him, but I can’t keep making excuses for him.”
There might have been a dip in the middle of the week, but the former Cairns horseman remained positive that it would turn around, and it did with the victories of Elms Creek and Valoroso Hanover.
“I don’t train any stars, but I am just happy to win a race, whether it is at Marburg or Albion Park I just love winning,” Sallis said.
The past six seasons have seen the Wanora-based trainer a regular in the top 10 of the State Premiership title, reaching 50 wins in a season the past four terms in succession.
With just six race meetings left until the current season draws to a close, as far as premiership titles are concerned at least, a season benchmark of 70 achieved just last season may just prove out of reach.
That won’t concern Ron Sallis though, as he continues to do what he loves.
“I have been doing it all my life and I love every minute of it; here I am watching Elms Creek run around the paddock and to think last night he was an Albion Park winner, that’s just a real buzz,” Sallis said.
THE MILESTONE
Topping $100,000 in stake earnings has long been pursued as a benchmark level to attain.
The latest addition to that club came on Saturday night when Doubledelightbrigade scored her fourth successive victory at Albion Park.
Arriving with the Dixon stable a winner of 10 races, that number has grown rapidly with the daughter of the all-conquering stallion Bettors Delight, yet to taste defeat in four starts in Queensland.
Saturday night’s victory saw the five-year-old mare become the first horse this season to complete four successive metropolitan victories at Albion Park.
With two wins in New Zealand prior to being exported to Australia, the mare joined the stables of Michael Formosa in New South Wales where she won a further eight races before heading to Queensland.
Since stepping out at Albion Park for the first time, Doubledelightbrigade has shown great tenacity and speed throughout each of the four wins.
Setting a new personal best time at her second Queensland start, the win displayed her strength when sitting outside the leader and stopping the clock in a 1.52.7 mile rate.
An impeccably bred mare, the next chapter of her journey will approach with some impressive chapters of her race career having been recorded to date.
THE WILDCARD
He spent more than two years on the sidelines, but Shane Graham has shown that his skill and touch has not been lost.
Heading to Redcliffe with just three drives in the first three races on Sunday night, the former Australian Driving Champion left the triangle with a perfect record, claiming victory in all three.
Kicking off the night with victory behind Boulder City for trainer Graeme Harris, the next two winners were prepared by Vicki Rasmussen.
La Safron claimed victory in race two, with the seven-year-old boasting some big-hitting connections.
Purchased from the north-west of New South Wales, the seven-year-old is raced by Albion Park Manger Scott Steele.
Joining Steele in the ownership interests are his Club Chairman and racing media-man David Fowler along with up-and-coming race broadcaster Jarred Wessel.
The third leg of the treble for Shane Graham came courtesy of the lightly raced Golightly who made it successive victories at Redcliffe.
A horse that has plenty of ability, the five-year-old had been plagued by poor barriers in recent weeks with the opportunity to get some confidence back working wonders.
Trebles were a common occurrence for Graham, who was the leading driver in Australia in the 2014/15 season, with the threepeat on Sunday providing him with his first since returning to the sulky.
Quickly racking up 35 wins this season, he looks set to be a big player in the 2020/21 Premierships.
THIS WEEK
This will be the last full week of the traditional season with Monday August 31 signalling a sunset on the premiership tables.
While Harness Racing Australia and the various States have extended aspects of the season until December 31 – including the age of horses – premierships will wrap up as per the standard end-of-August date.
The closing day for trainers and drivers to add to their seasonal tally will coincide with Redcliffe once again hosting a Monday meeting.
Races will be programmed for $3,499 total stakes with each race also carrying a QBRED cash bonus.
Of the various premierships that will be decided, most of the Queensland titles appear clear-cut, with the only mathematical chance of any change coming in the metropolitan driver’s title.
Nathan Dawson is holding a five-win lead over Grant Dixon, so while it would appear safely in the bag, there is the slimmest of chances that Dixon can get there.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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