28 February 2022 | Darren Clayton
Catch up on the week’s harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
It was a solid week in the sulky for Matt Elkins, claiming six winners for the week to move into outright third in the Queensland State Drivers Premiership.
Although unable to land a winner at Albion Park on Tuesday, Elkins was able to steer home a winner at each of the next three meetings for the week.
On Wednesday night at Redcliffe, Elkins scored aboard Awholelotofpretty, leading throughout to make it successive victories aboard the Pat Croghan-trained mare.
On Friday at The Creek in sloppy conditions, Juddy Douglas scored a commanding all the way victory, with Elkins also claiming his second training win of the season, both courtesy of the five-year-old speedster.
Leading easily from gate one, Elkins allowed the gelding to roll and laid out a slick 27.1 third split despite the rain affected going, holding his rivals off with an impressive mile in a rate of 1.55.4.
The only other drive Elkins had on the day returned a third placing aboard Getaloadathisgirl, the Dan Russell-trained mare finishing two metres from the winner after starting as the favourite.
With single wins on Wednesday and Friday, it was Thursday at The Triangle where it was the ‘Magical Matty’ show, with Elkins heading to the Peninsula for six drives.
Starting the day with a second placing aboard the John McMullen-trained Im A Classy Girl in race two, Elkins had the drive in race three aboard the favourite Johnrod.
Although only a moderate beginner, Elkins continued to push the Tayla Gillespie-trained gelding towards the front and eventually took control and from there was never headed.
Pulling clear to claim a commanding victory, the win was the fourth time Elkins has partnered Johnrod to victory.
One race later and this time a second line draw proved no obstacle for Datsinahurri as Elkins pushed the mare through at the start and within 500 metres had the daughter of Hurrikane Kingcole outside the leader.
Proving too strong for her rivals, they pulled clear for a winning margin of seven metres, the win the seventh time that Elkins has driven Datsinahurri to success.
Driving the Tayla Gillespie $26 outsider Purple Shades in race five, the pattern was different with Purple Shades settling back in the pack, yet the result was the same.
Charging home down the outside, Elkins was able to get the best out of the nine-year-old gelding to arrive for victory by a head margin over Timenpatience.
The best chance on paper for the day was up next and Maywyn A Jug Ortwo was duly sent to the post as a $1.50 favourite after securing barrier one as he went in search of four successive victories.
Pouncing on the lead soon after the field was released, the race was never in doubt as the Dan Russell-trained gelding cruised home to an easy victory.
With the quartet of wins secured, Elkins equalled his best day in the sulky with four wins, having achieved the feat back in August 2019, that quartet also recorded at Redcliffe.
Moving to 28 wins this season, Elkins now sits 13 wins adrift of the equal leaders, Pete McMullen and Nathan Dawson who finish the second month of the season equal with 41 wins in both the Queensland and National Drivers title.
THE BAD
It has been dubbed a rain bomb, but whatever the name, the outcome has meant that an enormous amount of rain has been dumped over South East Queensland in the past five days.
The sheer volume of rain falling across the Brisbane area saw Albion Park lose the Saturday night metropolitan fixture.
Amazingly, the track held up to the deluge on Friday afternoon and the nine-race card was able to be completed which included the final two heats of the Jim McNeil Series for the trotters.
Unfortunately, many trainers and participants have been impacted by the flooding and that impact will continue to be felt long after the rain clouds disappear.
Race meetings this week on Monday and Tuesday at Albion Park have been impacted and the remainder of the week will be affected because of the widespread flooding.
THE WILDCARD
Racing may have been abandoned at Albion Park on Saturday night, however Queensland came to the fore at Menangle.
Two of the three New South Wales Derby heats were claimed by Grant Dixon-trained runners with Tims A Trooper and Leap To Fame winning their respective heats of the blue riband classic.
Returning to the scene of his Group 1 Breeders Challenge victory, Tims A Trooper was sent straight to the front by driver Robbie Morris and once assuming control never looked in danger in claiming victory by over six metres.
The Tintin In America gelding held the chasers off with a 27.3 closing quarter to advance to the Final, with Morris chasing his second Group 1 victory with Tims A Trooper this weekend.
In the second heat, Leap To Fame was a well-supported favourite with Grant Dixon travelling south to take the drive aboard the classy colt.
Finding the pegs in the early stages, a mid-race move and a subsequent re-take by My Ultimate Byron forced Dixon’s hand and he eased off the inside to avoid a pocket, resulting in Leap To Fame sitting parked for the final lap.
As the field turned for the long run up the Menangle stretch, Dixon looked confident and that confidence shone when the colt applied the finishing blow to his rivals, pulling clear for a classy victory by over 12 metres.
The NSW Derby was one of Dixon’s first big race wins as a driver, claiming the 1994 edition of the race, then held at Harold Park aboard Jeremy Lee.
While he has been unable to land another victory in the Derby Final, Majestic Mach, Colt Thirty One and Governor Jujon have all won heats of the race on the way to the Final.
Now, 28 years after Jeremy Lee provided a springboard for Dixon to the big stage, can it be Leap To Fame to give him a second NSW Derby victory?
HOOFNOTE: Spirit Of St Louis progressed to the Miracle Mile with a brilliant victory in one of the sprint qualifiers. Although trained in NSW by Belinda McCarthy, many of the big syndicate of owners are Queensland residents, meaning ‘Louis’ will fly the Queensland flag for the big mile.
THE MILESTONE
The tag that it pays to be QBRED was again to the fore last week as the best state-bred futurity scheme in the country continued to deliver for connections.
No less than 36 races were held last week across four days of racing in Queensland with 17 of those races won by QBRED horses.
In one of the most dominant nights for some time, on Wednesday night at Redcliffe nine of the 10 races were won by QBRED performers.
On top of these impressive figures, three were also able to secure the bonus with Hurrikane King securing the $14,000 first win bonus when the four-year-old broke his maiden status in the last race of the night.
Also picking up the $7,500 second-win bonus were the four-year-old mares Joy Maker and Torque In Control, while the ill-fated Hurrikane Kingcole also secured a siring treble on the night.
On Thursday at The Triangle, there were three QBRED winners where Rock With Zara also secured her owner Toni Charlton the second win bonus.
The week was wrapped up with two winners from The Creek on Friday, President Gotta Go securing the $14,000 bonus for her connections with the three-year-old filly claiming her first career victory.
With the Redcliffe yearling sales fast approaching, the time is right to tap into the lucrative QBRED scheme, with most yearlings to pass through the sale QBRED eligible.
THIS WEEK
The start of the week has already been impacted by the flooding and the remainder of the week will likely take a different shape than originally programmed.
Monday and Tuesday from Albion Park have already been abandoned and the remaining meetings this week are yet to be decided as the level of damage caused by the flooding is yet to be determined.
Marburg is scheduled to host a meeting this Sunday and appears to have been spared any serious damage.
The Redcliffe track needs to undergo some minor repairs after the heaviest of the weekend rainfall, however the club is hopeful to have the racing surface prepared for Wednesday night.
Following the completion of the two rounds of heats of the Jim McNeil Series, the Group 3 Final is scheduled for this Saturday night.
Also on the card will be the Group 3 Trotters Marathon, held under the new name to recognise the deeds of the greatest Queensland trained square gaiter, Our Overanova.
The nominations for the Saturday, March 5 meeting have been pushed back 24 hours and will now close on Tuesday, March 1.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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