Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - August 28

Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.

THE GOOD

Trainer and driver Narissa McMullen had a memorable night at Albion Park on Saturday night, claiming a double courtesy of wins to Pocket The Cash and Last Time Joe.

The first winner was an impressive training performance, producing six-year-old gelding Pocket The Cash to a first-up win, four months since his last race start at Gloucester Park in Perth.

Purchasing the gelding form the stables of Ryan Bell, McMullen had trialled the gelding in early June where he looked sharp in a 2138 metre standing start trial.

However, he was not sighted again until August 15, when trialling with another sharp hit out that indicated he would be ready to tackle his first race assignment on the east coast.

Landing the outside front line on Saturday night for his first race appearance, McMullen wasted little time in sending the gelding forward and with 1700 metres to travel Pocket The Cash had worked to the lead.

Controlling the tempo with an opening half of 61 seconds, the pace increased through a third split of 27.7 seconds and with the gelding travelling easily out in front, was able to put them away with a 27.5 second closing panel.

With a winning margin of six metres, evergreen veteran Swaggie Shannon made the most of the trail trip to hold second, with Riveered grabbing third after also racing against the markers.

The victory was the 250^th career training victory for Narissa who has a winning strike rate of 17 per cent across all seasons, with her 2023 rate at a higher 19%.

Three races later and Narissa added another victory to her tally, this time with the consistent Last Time Joe, leading throughout aboard the six-year-old gelding.

Unlucky in recent weeks, Last Time Joe made his own luck, sent to the front soon after the start and from there was never headed, stopping the clock in a 1.53.9 mile rate.

It was the sixth win of the season for the gelding that has also recorded seven minor placings from his 18 starts.

The win took Narissa to 74 driving wins for the term, where reaching 100 wins for the year will be a huge achievement after a sickening fall at Redcliffe in February.

Bouncing back from the injury and time on the sidelines as part of the recuperating process, if Narissa can rack up 26 wins over the next four months, it will be her eighth century season.

THE BAD

They may have missed the opportunity to compete for Group 1 glory on QStars night, however the contestants in the Triad Consolations held last Tuesday at Albion Park had the opportunity to race for good money in each of the four divisions.

Ryan and Dannielle Veivers combined to claim the two-year-old fillies division with Donttellmeagain, the Vincent filly leading throughout in a 1.56.5 rate.

Sent straight to the front, the Vincent filly was able to hold off a determined Skygirl, with Merry Jewel charging home to grab third place.

Breaking maiden ranks with the victory, connections also received the $14,000 QBRED first win bonus on top of the $12,000 winners’ cheque.

Gleneagle Vee Cee secured his third win of the season when leading throughout to claim the two-year-old colts and gelding division for trainer and driver Shane Graham.

Leading easily from gate one through a 28.6 second first split, Graham was able to back the tempo off with a 31.3 second split, holding on down the stretch as Call To Order made one last challenge for Grant Dixon but came up a head short of the winner.

The three-year-old fillies division looks an open contest, and the race reflected that assessment, with Trent Dawson claiming victory aboard Fias Charm, overcoming gate 12 to arrive in the closing stages.

Maiden filly Sweetnspicy looked set to arriving in time for trainer Mark Dux and driver Mat Neilson but had to be content with a half-neck defeat as Fias Charm charged down the outside to score.

Jeseeka for Anna Woodmansey and Angus Garrard was game in defeat after sitting parked and holding on for third place.

Prominent North Queensland thoroughbred trainer John Manzelmann was the winning owner and breeder of the three-year-old colts and geldings division, his pacer Ollie Ollie darting through on the passing lane to score.

Trained by Jack Butler, Nathan Dawson took the drive on the Changeover gelding that had the closing speed to defeat Jakki Mun for Graham and Layne Dwyer, with Doc Jujon finishing in third for Grant Dixon and Mat Neilson.

THE MILESTONE

It was a drought breaking victory for trainer and driver Trent Hodges at Redcliffe on Wednesday night when Kiwi Royalty was successful.

Starting from the second line, Hodges had the mare in the one-by-one trail soon after the start as the Peter Greig-trained Heza Bling set the tempo in front.

Angling three-wide from the 400-metre pole, the four-year-old mare moved up strongly to hit the front as the field swung for home.

Going on with it down the stretch, Kiwi Royalty posted winning margins of 6.2 metres and 8.9 metres to claim the maiden breaking win.

With only a small number of horses in work, the win was the first for Hodges in the 2023 as both a trainer and driver.

Going through the 2022 season without a driving win, Hodges last driving victory came when partnering the mare Writeaboutchelsea to victory at Marburg on December 19, 2021.

Chipping away throughout the 2022 term, Hodges solitary training victory came with Manoflisa who was successful at Redcliffe on August 17, with Trent Moffat taking the reins on that occasion for Hodges.

One year and six days later, Kiwi Royalty broke the training drought with her Redcliffe success last week, with Hodges also sharing in the ownership of the four-year-old.

Unplaced in four Victorian appearances for Mick Bellman and Alex Ashwood, Kiwi Royalty joined the Hodges stable earlier this year and has now had one win from eight starts since arriving in Queensland.

THE WILDCARD

Teenage reinsman Layne Dwyer had the most successful week of his short career, driving a winner on four consecutive days last week.

Gaining his race licence back in April, the 16-year-old Dwyer started the week in the best manner possible, claiming victory in the opening race at Redcliffe last Monday night aboard Little Change for trainer and father Graham Dwyer.

Partnering on April 24 to claim his first ever race victory, Little Change and Dwyer have now combined for six victories, the latest win coming at the geldings 250^th career start.

That was the 28^th career victory for the Changeover gelding, 20 of those wins at Redcliffe which moves him into equal third position for most ever wins at Redcliffe.

Tuesday at Albion Park, visiting Bathurst trainer Bernie Hewitt engaged Dwyer to take the drive aboard Laurie Dee which had placed in his previous three attempts.

Starting from gate seven, Dwyer eased the gelding to the rear soon after the start of the 2138 metre event where he settled for most of the race before making a move with 500 metres to travel.

Looming strongly five-wide as the field swung for home, Laurie Dee responded to the drivers urgings to claim victory in a 1.55.6 rate.

On Wednesday night at Redcliffe, trainer Jack Butler engaged Dwyer to take the drive aboard Mount Hercules, with the pair starting from outside the front line.

Eased to the rear, Dwyer was still last with 400 metre to travel before easing wider and the nine-year-old let down strongly to arrive right on the wire and claim a half-head margin.

On Thursday, Dwyer returned to Redcliffe where he had the reins for Ron Sallis aboard Shadow Minister, an eight-year-old resuming form a spell from gate five.

With a solid tempo from the front, Dwyer again drove a well-judged race to sweep down the outside, arriving in time to claim a victory margin of a head.

One race later and despite yet another outside front line gate, Dwyer landed the first wining double of his career, with yet another last to first finish.

Partnering the Ricky Thurlow-trained Ooga Chaka, the pair were able to chime in over the closing stages to claim a one-metre victory.

Completing his biggest week in his fledgling career, Layne claimed five wins and five second placings, with the wins coming for five different trainers.

THIS WEEK

All eyes will be on Menangle this Saturday night as The Eureka is held for the first time.

Queensland will play a big role in the meeting with Leap To Fame and Speak The Truth both contesting the $2.1 million event.

On the support card, Tims A Trooper will likely contest The Stockade, Hot And Treacherous will step out in the Len Smith Mile, while Soap Opera has qualified for the Group 1 New South Wales Breeders Challenge Blue Final for Darren Weeks and Kylie Rasmussen.

Here in Queensland, seven straight days of harness racing action will commence at Redcliffe on Monday night.

There are two meetings for the week on 'The Triangle', with 10 races to be decide on Wednesday night, including four Finals from the Brisbane Show.

Albion Park will host four meetings this week, the Tuesday afternoon fixture accompanied by a day meeting on Thursday, a night meeting Friday, before the metropolitan fixture on Saturday night.

The week will wind up with an afternoon meeting at Marburg on Sunday.