Catch up on the week’s harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
Menangle was the scene of his maiden Group 1 victory of his career and three-year-old Leap To Fame ended his season with a fourth win at the elite level at the same track on Saturday night.
In securing the New South Wales Breeders Challenge Final, the start colt signed off for 2022 with his eighth victory of the term, not missing a top-three in 2022, with season figures of 11:8-2-1 and stakes of $451, 231.
The win might just have been his best to date, doing a mountain of work after moving up to sit outside the leader and then pull clear in the closing stages to stop the clock in a new Australian record of 1.49 for a three-year-old-pacer at the mile.
Allowed time to balance up, trainer and driver Grant Dixon then sent Leap To Fame forward to sit parked outside the leader My Ultimate Ronnie with the opening splits in 26.3 seconds and 28.5 seconds.
Putting the speed on through the third quarter, Cameron Hart aboard My Ultimate Ronnie was trying to break the resolve of Leap To Fame and increased the tempo to a sizzling 26.8 seconds.
As the field swung for home, Leap To Fame was in for the fight and his star shone bright, pulling clear in the last 50 metres, with the last quarter timed off in 27.4 seconds to claim an emphatic victory.
Securing the $90,000 first prize cheque also took Leap To Fame past $500,000 in career earnings, with the Australian record sitting alongside the track record he set at Tamworth in qualifying for the Breeders Challenge Series.
Also representing Queensland with success, the Shannon Price-trained Van Sank claimed the Group 3 Menangle Park Trotters FFA.
Driven by David Morris, the race changed complexion early when the race favourite Caligula galloped out of the barrier to end his chances.
Morris allowed Van Sank to slide across and was able to position one out and two back before angling wide as they swung for home and in a 27.2 second closing split, arrived to take a narrow victory with a new personal best of 1.56.7 against his name.
Other placings at Menangle on Saturday night saw the Gemma Hewitt-trained Kashed Up finish a narrow second in the four-year-old entires and geldings Final.
Almost causing a boil over, Kashed Up was collared in the last strides by Bettor Isolate, the official margin just a half-neck, while the early leader, the Graham Dwyer-trained Hy Voltage faded to finish in seventh position.
Nathan Dawson landed two placings on the night with Teddy Disco and finishing in second with Sky Blu in the two-year-old fillies Final.
The Shawn Grimsey-trained Teddy Disco edged his season tally towards $100,000 when chasing gamely to grab third, just missing a Queensland-trained quinella behind Leap To Fame.
Sky Blu finished second to Major Delight, the filly starting her career in Queensland with Jason Carkeet, before being transferred to the David Thorn stable for the Breeders Challenge assault, culminating with the Group 1 placing.
THE BAD
It was a mixed bag over Friday and Saturday night for Queensland and Australia’s leading driver Pete McMullen.
Skipping well clear in the local premiership to hold a margin in excess of 40 wins, McMullen copped a double whammy at Albion Park on Friday night aboard Wisper A Secret.
With the two-year-old qualifying for the semi-finals of the New South Wales Breeders Challenge, a minor issue saw him scratched from the series.
Lining up on Friday night as a short-priced favourite, the gelding sat in the trail behind Queenslander.
As the field moved down the back straight on the final occasion, McMullen attempted to angle Wisper A Secret into the clear, however in doing so caused interference to another runner.
Unable to run down Queenslander in the stretch, McMullen was subsequently issued with a nine-day suspension from the stewards panel for the offence.
Salvaging a win out of the night in the last race, Sugarinspice also established a new class record for trotting mares when claiming the 2138 metre mobile event.
On Saturday, McMullen headed to Menangle for a solitary driver, aboard the Albion Park track record holder, Blacksadance, in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile.
Beginning well from a wide barrier in search of a position, the five-year-old was left exposed and with no other runner prepared to work forward, McMullen was stuck sitting parked.
Trying to throw it down to the leader Honolua Bay, Blacksadance felt the pressure and faded up the long Menangle stretch to trail the field home as I Cast No Shadow arrived for victory in a 1.48.8 mile.
With the nine-day suspension, McMullen’s lead in the state premiership looks safe, however the time off has opened the door for the chasers in the National title.
Gary Hall Jnr became the second driver to 200 wins for the season across the weekend and is 20 wins adrift of McMullen.
THE WILDCARD
October has been a busy month for trainer Ash Perks.
The hard work was rewarded with his first training double at Redcliffe last Wednesday when Letsplayuni and Bettor Keep Rocking were successful.
Securing his first career training success with Letsplayuni earlier this year, Perks is now dual licensed and presented his first starter in the thoroughbred code when Fort Wayne finished unplaced at Eagle Farm on October 15.
Letsplayuni was the first leg of Wednesday’s double, with Leonard Cain in the sulky and sending the gelding straight to the front from barrier four, leading throughout to a smart victory.
Keeping them rolling in front, the four-year-old had 6.5 metres to spare at the wire after finding the line smartly in closing splits of 28.6 seconds and 27.9 seconds to claim his sixth win of the season.
With the first leg of the double completed in race one, the suspense was left hanging with the second leg not until race nine.
Off the back of a pair of handy trials and then a smart second placing, Bettor Keep Rocking was sent to the post deep into the red, starting a $1.45 elect.
The lone runner off the second line, Nathan Dawson had the reins and soon angled into the running line and was able to secure the one-by-one trail.
Angled into space, the four-year-old had the closing speed to claim his second career victory and first under the guidance of Perks, completing the winning double.
The win also came over two years since his maiden victory at Menangle in August of 2020, having placed in five of thirteen previous attempts this season since joining the Perks stable.
It will be another busy week for Ash and the family, saddling two runners at Sunshine Coast on Tuesday and cheering on a galloper he owns on Oaks Day.
Corona Lad, owned by Perks with wife Liza and family, will contest the $500,000 Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final on Thursday at Flemington for trainer Nathan Dunn, with Blake Shinn booked for the ride.
THE MILESTONE
Having recently married, Bethany Cain enjoyed another milestone over the weekend when training her first winner when Oaxacan Dream was successful, made even more special with the maiden victory at metropolitan level.
Completing the special moment was husband Leonard Cain, taking the reins, while Bethany also part owns the five-year-old mare.
Securing her training licence earlier this season, Bethany has produced two runners to the races to date with Jelignite Jack and Oaxacan Dream representing her stable.
Jelignite Jack placed in two of four starts before leaving her stable, with Oaxacan Dream having placed in five of eleven starts before Saturday night’s success.
Eased to settle three back against the markers as Molliesmaryelle led them up, the speed was genuine with the opening half posted in 55.2 seconds before another slick 27.7 second third split.
Swinging for home, Leonard eased across runners to get into open space and set out after the leader, with Oaxacan Dream charging home over the top to secure the victory in a sizzling new career personal best of 1.51.7.
The win was the ninth of her career and the first in over 12 months.
Oaxacan Dream will no doubt hold a special place in both Bethany and Leonard’s harness racing journey – both claiming their first training success with the same mare – 15 months apart.
Winning on July 9, 2021, when prepared by Leonard, for his maiden success as a trainer, with her win in August of 2021, also giving him his first metropolitan training victory.
THIS WEEK
With the Melbourne Cup Carnival this week at Flemington, harness racing in Queensland takes on a different shape across the next six days.
Redcliffe will host their regular Cup Day non-TAB fixture with six races to be held and then a further ten races on the Wednesday night program from the Peninsula, followed by a Friday afternoon fixture.
That sees the start of the Summer Carnival on Thursday night from Albion Park when the heats of The Peak of the Creek will be run.
Following a successful first edition of the race in 2021, once again connections of the horses progressing to the Final will choose their barrier, with that draw to be conducted on Thursday night following the heats.
That rolls into a big night of action on Saturday for night one of the Carnival, with races including the Be Good Johnny Sprint, the Peak of the Creek, the Queen of the Creek and a Group 3 Trot held under mobile start conditions
Marburg will host a Sunday meeting to complete the week and will be hoping for improved weather after their last meeting was lost owing to sustained rainfall.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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