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.