Catch up on the week’s harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
Saturday night at The Creek proved to be a successful one for the Whittaker family on two fronts.
Kiwis Jeff and Tracey Whittaker shared ownership of the Group 1 winning pacer Mach Shard, with the seven-year-old claiming the Free-For-All standing start event for trainer-driver combination Belinda and Luke McCarthy.
Overcoming a 20-metre backmark, the son of Mach Three finished with a blistering turn of hoof down the outside to claim victory to break the 2647-metre standing start track record.
Later in the evening, the Whittaker’s son Luke steered home Wee Man Trouble to victory in the PSP Bonus Trotters Mobile (1660m) event.
“It was a big thrill to be on track and see Mach Shard win, I have not seen him since the Inters in Auckland,” Luke said.
Wee Man Trouble, trained by Shannon Price, started from inside the second line and, soon after the start, Luke angled him away from the pegs, squeezing in between runners to land in the running line.
Settling one out and two back as Stress Factor set a solid tempo in front, Luke sat patiently and only angled three-wide off the back of Sir Fahrenheit as the field swung for home, with Van Sank hitting the front.
Letting down with a strong sprint Wee Man Trouble had the superior closing speed to nab Sir Fahrenheit on the line by a half-head.
“Once I was able to get off and onto the back of Sir Fahrenheit, I knew we would get a nice run into the race and would be within striking distance,” Whittaker said.
“He has been going well and wasn’t too far away behind the other one of Shannon’s, Van Sank, the start prior, so it wasn’t completely unexpected.”
It was the first Saturday night success for Whittaker since he relocated to Queensland to further his experience in the sport.
Originally from Christchurch, the young driver spent time in both Auckland and Cambridge before relocating to Queensland in December last year.
“I really love it here, and to get my first Saturday night winner for Shannon and Scott (Miller) made it special, they have been very good to me since coming over.”
Not only was it his first Saturday night success, but the win was also the first trotting winner in Australia.
“That was the third drive I have had on a trotter, two on this guy and I drove one for John Cremin recently.”
After driving 21 winners last season in New Zealand, Luke’s latest victory places him two shy of 50 career driving wins and the young reinsman is hopeful of bringing up the milestone on an upcoming trip.
“I’m heading down to Tamworth this week for a few days and will take some drives for the Ison family while I am down there, it would be nice to get to 50 while I am there,” he said.
Making the most of his opportunities since arriving from New Zealand, there is just one thing that Luke would like to change.“They told me it’s always sunny here, there hasn’t been a full week of sun since I’ve been here!”
THE BAD
It was a sad week for Queensland harness racing with four races named in honour of those to have recently passed away.
At Albion Park on Friday, the Vale Nola Turpin pace remembered the mother of the Albion Park track manager Tony Turpin and grandmother to Chantal and Jake.
It was fitting that Chantal should train the winner of the race with Will The Wizard, driven by husband Pete McMullen, scoring in a sizzling 1.51.2-mile rate.
On Sunday at Marburg, the lives of three harness racing devotees were recognised with Robert Macdonald, Doug Masssam and Ken Parker, all having races named in their honour.
Massam carved a niche as a respected horse-breaker and ran a spelling complex from his property, with some of the biggest stables over the years, utilising the horsemanship of Massam to educate their young stock.
Ken Parker was a latecomer to the sport of harness racing, training and driving his first winner in 1999 at Toowoomba, aged in his mid-60s.
Parker drove his last winner, Colada Rose, at Redcliffe in October 2014, aged 81.
Condolences go out to all family and friends of those remembered in the past week.
THE MILESTONE
History looks set to repeat itself in the battle for Queensland Drivers Title.
After season 2021 was a see-sawing contest until late in the season, the 2022 Title is on a similar trajectory.
Fighting it out for the top spot are cousins, Nathan Dawson and Pete McMullen, with Dawson claiming first bragging rights last week as the first driver, not only in the Sunshine State but across Australia, to reach triple figures.
Heading into Friday’s meeting at Albion Park, Dawson was on 99 wins, with McMullen on 97 and by the end of the meeting, both drivers had raised the bat to reach triple figures.
Dawson grabbed his opportunity in his first drive of the day, with a winning steer aboard the Jason Carkeet trained Lord Digby in the third race on the program.
Making a move as the pace slackened to sit outside the leader, which was being driven by McMullen, Lord Digby pulled clear under Dawson’s urgings to claim a comfortable victory by just under six metres.
However, McMullen finished the day on top of the Premiership table.
He drove a winning treble, bringing up win his 100th victory this season in the last race on the card aboard Shez Notorious for trainer Graham Dwyer.
A double on Saturday night, followed by a Sunday afternoon double at Marburg, took McMullen to 104 wins and three clear of Dawson.
For Dawson, it was the sixth time that he had achieved 100 winners in a season, while McMullen’s streak of 100 winners had extended to thirteen successive seasons.
THE WILDCARD
Added conditions to the Flashing Red Discretionary Handicap and the Redcliffe Cup for 2022, where horses must have contested in a standing start race in the previous eight months, was the reason for a capacity field on Saturday night at Albion Park.
A discretionary handicap free-for-all over the 2647m journey resulted in 14 acceptors, with Mach Shard, trained by Belinda McCarthy and driven by husband Luke, the lone backmarker on 20-metres.
With the scratching of Kanena Provlima, a field of 13 lined up at the starting tapes and were all relatively safely away, with Watts Up Sunshine pouncing on the lead for Rickie Alchin.
With a genuine tempo from the outset, it was a race that did not see any moves from the back until the field passed the 600-metre mark.
Colt Thirty One was the first to make the three-wide move and led up L Cool J, Mach Shard and Blacksadance in the three-wide train.
As the field swung for home, Watts Up Majestic was on tired legs.
The field fanned around the bend, with Aphorism looming up, L Cool J five-wide and to his outside both Mach Shard and Blacksadance.
In the run to the judge, it was Mach Shard that possessed the superior closing speed, charging home to claim victory.
With an adjusted mile rate from the 20-metre handicap, the 1.56.5 rate broke the track record that had stood for almost eight years.
Major Moment set the previous record in June 2014 in the Premiers Cup.
After spending close to twelve months off the scene since claiming the 2021 Miracle Mile Night FFA, Mach Shard has now won three of his past five starts this season as he affirms his position as a big player for the upcoming Constellations Carnival.
THIS WEEK
It is a slightly different racing schedule this week as the Redcliffe track undergoes some remediation works.
The regular Wednesday night slot has been moved to Monday afternoon at Albion Park, while the Thursday afternoon meeting has been transferred to Marburg.
Albion Park will host the regular Tuesday, Friday and Saturday timeslots, with Friday’s meeting scheduled at night.
The highlight of Saturday night’s racing will be the Group 3 Flashing Red Discretionary Handicap.
Named in honour of the dual New Zealand Cup winner, the 2647-metre standing start feature event looks set to again attract a capacity field.
By the of the week, racing will resume at Redcliffe on Sunday night.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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