Fernvale trainer/driver Darrel Graham made his first visit to Gympie races on Melbourne Cup day and won three out of four harness races on the sand racetrack.
Graham took seven to the races for the four race card and finished second with his first runner Lord Baltimore in the first race won by Man With Attitude (Kevin Annetts), then won the balance of the program driving Red Luck in race two, Mafuta Vautin in race three and Five Card Draw in race four.
Graham, who has driven in races in every harness racing state excluding South Australia said that the sand thoroughbred racing surface was a lot different from the standard harness racetracks he normally races on.
“It is a lot heavier for the horses, but they still handled the (sand) surface well, they race a lot slower but there were no b\problems,” Graham said.
The Graham stable had 11 starters on Cup day.
While Darrel was at Gympie his daughter Brittany looked after the team at the traditional Redcliffe, Melbourne Cup day meet with four starters for two fourth and two fifth placegetters.
Leading Queensland young gun Narissa McMullen had her first day back in the sulky after returning from a six week North American sojourn and got straight onto the winners board driving her own horse Murano.
The five-year-old Bettors Delight gelding led all the way to win easily. McMullen had three other drives for Tamborine trainer Rchard Hutchinson without success.
The four other Redcliffe track Melbourne Cup day winners were Oh Jackie (Jim Morris/Paul Morris); Its All Torque (Ricky Hart/Pete McMullen); The Duke Downunder (Mal Charlton/Steve Doherty) and Expressionist (Shane Sanderson).
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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