The 2015 Queensland winter carnival officially starts this weekend at Albion Park.
The metropolitan club will play host to three fabulous nights of racing on July 4, 11 and 18 with seven Group One events scheduled during those three nights of quality pacing.
And prizemoney is at an all-time high.
But leading local trainer/driver Grant Dixon fired a warning shot to interstate rivals last weekend when he prepared five winners on the 10 race program.
He reined four himself while his wife Trista saluted on the other occasion.
This is nothing new for the ‘Black & White army” with Bill (Grant’s father) preparing six winners at a meeting on two occasions while Grant himself has also prepared six winners previously.
Bill achieved his winning six packs at Albion Park and the Gold Coast back in 2011 while Grant landed his six pack at the Gold Coast in 2013.
The Dixon stable have been the leading stable in Australia since the 2007/08 season.
Grant officially took over in the 2011/12 season and has continued to build on his father’s framework, only last season he produced his highest amount of winners with 260 for the season.
The highest amount for the stable came in Bill’s final year of 2010/11 when the stable produced a whopping 299 winners for the term.
So far this season, Dixon has prepared 227 winners, he is 27 clear of his nearest rival which is Newcastle based Shane Tritton.
On Saturday night, the Dixon trained winners were Only The Brave, Alleluia, Modern Max, Majestic Major and Joys A Babe.
Several of these winners are expected to feature during the carnival including open class star Majestic Major while exciting four-year-old Alleluia.
Majestic Major made it three wins in succession after sitting parked to win the free-for-all in 1;52.7, the giant Art Major gelding will back-up this weekend in the Gr.1 $100,000 Garrards Sunshine Sprint.
Alleluia also scored in convincing fashion after racing outside highly regarded Newcastle performer Yayas Hot Spot before scoring stylishly in a time of 1;55.1 for the 2138m.
Targets for Alleluia during the carnival include Gr.2 $50,000 Gurney Group of Companies 4 & 5yo Championship on July 11 and the Gr.2 $50,000 4yo Championship the following week.
The Dixon stable will have big representation during the carnival and they’ve proven their ready to take on all-comers in July.
29 June 2015
by Chris Barsby
Driving the Future of Harness Racing