Look ahead to this weekend’s harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.
A total of 17 races will be held at Albion Park across the weekend with nine on Friday night preceding eight on Saturday, which will include the Embracing Pacing Pink Ribbon Cup.
The sixth event on the program on Saturday evening looks set to be a great contest.
Three last winners to do battle, drawn six, seven and eight, in the race.
The speedy mare Chynchilla draws in gate six and will be out to claim her fourth Albion Park victory from her past five starts, but will face a stern test from both Its Ebonynivory and the three-year-old Aardie B Miki.
INTERSTATE EYES
NEWCASTLE – FRIDAY
RACE TWO: FATE AWAITS AND PATH TO GREATNESS
Grant Dixon will be represented by two runners in this first round qualifier for the Group 1 Breeders Challenge.
Protostar winner, Fate Awaits, has drawn awkwardly inside the second line and with no passing lane at Newcastle, Dixon will have to use all his guile and skill to find open space to make his challenge.
Given a sharp trial hit-out on September 13 in his first public appearance following his Protostar victory during the Queensland Constellations, the four-time winner defeated his stable mate, Path To Greatness, in that trial.
Lining up from barrier four following a scratching to his inside in Friday night’s qualifier, Robbie Morris will take the reins on the unbeaten Path To Greatness for Dixon.
Following two Redcliffe wins, the Captaintreacherous gelding attacked the line with gusto to remain undefeated when scoring in the biggest test of his short career, overcoming a strong field of juveniles at Albion Park on August 24th.
RACE FOUR: THE LADY DIOR
With two wins in her four career starts, The Lady Dior will be out to improve on her third placing behind Cool And Classy in the QBRED Triad Final back in August.
A winner in the heats of that series when resuming from a spell, the filly posted an eight metre winning margin, highlighted by a slick 27.4 second closing panel.
Slammed with the outside second line barrier for the $150,000 Final, The Lady Dior was sent forward into the contest in the early stages, fighting gamely for third when finishing just over six metres from the winner.
With the benefit of dual state eligibility, The Lady Dior will tackle Friday’s Breeders Challenge heat fresh, her Triad third her last race appearance.
Kept up to the mark with two trials, the first of those on August 30 was a slick piece of work, posting a 20 metre margin over her opposition.
Trained by Gemma Hewitt, the driving duties will be handed to Will Rixon with regular driver Brendan Barnes holidaying overseas.
MENANGLE – SATURDAY
RACE FIVE: CATSEYE BEACH AND R ELEVEN ART
Daren Garrard has qualified two runners for the time-honoured Carousel Final, with Catseye Beach and R Eleven Art both progressing through to the $50,000 event following heats last weekend.
Catseye Beach was resuming from a spell when finishing third in his heat, having worked across to find the trail on the leader and eventual winner, Speculating.
Last at the races back in January when claiming a qualifying win at ‘The Creek’, the five-year-old prepped with a Menangle trial win and should take further benefit heading into the Final, with Angus Garrard to take the reins.
Chris Geary has been handed the reins for R Eleven Art who finished second in his heat.
Finding the fence, three back, from gate five in the first heat, Angus Garrard found open space in the long Menangle stretch, with the gelding winding up late to finish runner-up behind Ryans Gangster.
RACE SIX: INSTANT DELIGHT
Darren Weeks’ trotting mare has qualified for the Trotters Carousel Final following a fourth in her heat.
Winning over the mobile mile at Menangle two starts back, the mare was wide and trying to get into the contest in the heat which was held on September 10.
The $1.75 favourite was the Jason Grimson-trained Golden Sunset, with that mare turned over by the Brent Lilley-trained Maestro.
Instant Delight was 25 metres from the winner but will line up in Saturday’s Final from barrier four following two early scratching’s which were both drawn to her inside.
GIRLS NIGHT OUT AT ‘THE CREEK’
COVER GIRL
The Ricky Thurlow-trained Cover Girl finally draws a front line gate and looks to have also found the right opposition to capitalise.
Following six runs back from a 12 month break, the marbles have been against the mare, having drawn gate seven once and from the second line in each of her other five appearances.
Working home strongly wide off the track last start when third to Torque Like Motion, she appears to have found the ideal conditions.
AARDIE B MIKI v CHYNCHILLA
Even throw in Its Ebonynivory and this open mare’s race shapes as a cracker.
Chynchilla has won three of her past four starts, with one of those an electric 1.51.0 romp from gate seven where she ran it hard in front and posted a 17 metre winning margin.
Queensland Oaks winner Aardie B Miki will likely be chasing after drawing the lone spot on the second line.
Defeating the older mares last start when fresh up from her Oaks triumph, this looks her biggest test since joining the Turpin stable.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
