Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - October 16

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

THE GOOD

Ricky Thurlow secured a unique result at Redcliffe on Thursday, presenting three horses in the same race and coming away with the trifecta.

The Grogfather was able to overcome the outside front-line gate to claim victory, with Falcons holding on for second and First String finishing third.

Down to drive The Grogfather, Thurlow was unable to fulfil the commitment that saw a late change with Nathan Dawson the beneficiary of the pick-up drive.

“I was loading the team up and I slipped off the tailgate and jarred my back, I felt it go right up to my neck,” Thurlow said.

“When I got to the track I had a headache and with Nathan not having a drive in the race, I sat it out, thinking if he can drive 300 winners in a season, surely he could get The Grogfather home”.

Sent forward when the mobile released the field, Dawson had the favourite in front exiting the home straight on the first occasion and once dictating the pace, was never in danger.

Layne Dwyer was in the seat aboard Falcons and was sent forward to sit outside the leader and despite being no match for the winner, Falcons was able to hold on for second placing.

Resuming from a spell, First String was first to the poles before taking the trail on the back of The Grogfather, with Bryse McElhinney taking the reins aboard the dual-Triad winner which was able to claim third place and complete the Thurlow trifecta.

“I don’t think I have ever even had three in a race before, but I have seven racehorses and they all seem to be in the same Band 5 grade," Thurlow said. 

Leading up the Queensland arm of the Cobbity Equine Team, Thurlow also has stud duties to oversee which takes plenty of time as the breeding season hits full swing.

“We are working 12 here at the moment with a few babies and then there are still 20 mares due to foal, which is not too hard, but then getting them all back in foal is when it will be busy," he said. 

Having only taken over the training of The Grogfather at the end of September, it was just the second time that the gelding had started for Thurlow, with his first win for the new trainer his 14^th career success.

“I’m not sure where he will head, there is certainly another few wins in metro grade in him and perhaps he could head to America after that,” Thurlow said.

The win of The Grogfather is the 15^th training success this year for Thurlow, with Mister Fonzi leading the way for the stable with four wins, one more than Ooga Chaka which claimed a metropolitan victory last week.

“Ooga Chaka is a nice horse and he is fast off the gate, but I have not used him early up here yet as he did tend to get keen," he said. 

“He will go to the Peak Of The Creek now as that looks a nice option and now that the heats have changed to the Tuesday, I think it is much more attractive as a race”.

Thurlow is no stranger to quality horses, having put the polish on, or been closely involved with many top horses over the years.

Having worked with three-time Miracle Mile winner King Of Swing on his Queensland campaigns, Thurlow is now getting to see the progeny of the first season sire hit the ground.

“We have three by King Of Swing here and they are very nice foals," he detailed. 

“Most foals will take three to four days before they work out what their legs are for, but these ones have been tearing around the paddock the next day”.

THE BAD

Classie Washington is a talented six-year-old pacer prepared by Daren Garrard, however, a collective sigh of relief from all involved with the gelding could be heard after his victory on Saturday night.

As can sometimes be the case in this sport, there has always seemed to be a hard luck story that has followed Classie Washington, or on many occasions, clashing with another runner that is just a little better on the night.

On Saturday, however, there was no bad luck or bad barrier to defy his winning chances and with a well-judged drive by Angus Garrard, the gelding was back in the winner’s circle for his large group of owners.

Settled in the running line, Angus eased three-wide at the 600 metre mark and looming strongly as the field turned for home.

Angus was able to edge his way to the front as the leader Soextra tried to repel the challengers.

With race favourite Alta Revelry charging home, Classie Washington was in for the fight and was able to see it out to claim a narrow victory, with Soextra clinging on for third in a 1.53.1 mile-rate.

Having his first race start for the Garrard stable in April 2022, he quickly displayed his talent, winning his first four starts in the Sunshine State.

Then in late August he was runner-up to Leap To Fame at 'The Creek' and at his next start, Angus was tipped out of the sulky near the winning post.

Sent for a spell, the six-year-old resumed in January and bad luck arrived with barrier draws, landing wide or second line gates in his first five runs back.

Looking back on the results, the winning name in three of those first five starts included Mr Mclaren, Teddy Disco and Uptown Beachgirl.

Breaking through at his sixth run back in an up to 70 Pace, victory in a qualifying pace was proving to be elusive.

Placed in five of his next seven attempts in that same grade, two defeats were behind Leap To Fame and Tims A Trooper.

Finally landing a qualifying victory on June 17, the super consistent performer once again faced a string of wide gates, yet was never far from the winner, placing in five of his next six starts.

On Saturday night at his 22^nd start for the year, the gelding claimed his third win to sit beside his 12 placings, with his overall Albion Park record impressive. 

THE WILDCARD

Ryan and Dannielle Veivers had a night out at 'The Creek' last Friday when claiming a winning treble on the seven-race card.

Ryan is the trainer of the stable with Dannielle the driver. 

The first winner was Im Boo, a pacer that lit up the Albion Park track seven days prior in a sizzling 1.51.6 mile-rate, building off the winning confidence to claim successive victories, with the win that little sweeter as the gelding is also owned by Ryan.

Starting from inside the second line, Dannielle eased in the early stages to move into the running line, making a forward move and with one lap to travel had worked to the front.

Keeping a solid tempo, the five-year-old was never in danger, running the closing splits in 28.2 seconds and 28.4 seconds to record a 1.54.6 winning mile-rate.

The middle leg of the treble came when a relative newcomer to the stable, It Aint Royal, was able to lead throughout.

Sent to the front soon after the start, the 11-year-old made it two wins in his past three starts, the 200 start-veteran having been in the Veivers stable for just five race appearances.

Geldof completed the treble in the last race of the night, with Dannielle again dictating from the front and putting the race out of reach of the chasing pack.

Firing across and taking control from gate four, the opening quarter of 26.8 seconds looked like it may have been a just a little too expensive.

However, the nine-year old was in for the fight and clinging on through a slogging 30.2 second closing quarter was able to claim victory over the fast-finishing Blackjack Bart, with a neck the winning margin.

Geldof has been a great campaigner throughout his career, with 26 wins now to his name, 14 of those have been with the Veivers stable.

THE MILESTONE

With only a small and select team of pacers in work, Gemma Hewitt was able to claim her second metropolitan double of the season on Saturday night.

Completing the feat with Make Mine Memphis and Sarah Anne earlier in the season, on Saturday it was Amami and Captain Of Speed that were both successful.

The first leg of the double was with Sweet Lou four-year-old Amami, a pacer that has faced his share of issues, but in recent months has been back at his best and racing consistently.

Taking the drive on the gelding herself, Hewitt was able to slot into the one-by-one trail soon after the start as race favourite Despondent set the tempo.

Making her move between turns, Amami set out after the leader and had the closing speed to draw clear for the victory, the 10th of his career.

The consistency that the gelding has been displaying has seen him record six of those career victories in his past 13 starts.

Captain Of Speed was having just her fourth start since joining the Hewitt stable, tackling a mare’s qualifying pace with Brendan Barnes taking the reins.

Sent to the front soon after the mobile pulled away, the daughter of super sire Captaintreacherous put the first quarter on the board in 27.1 seconds, before backing it off to a 31.2 second split.

As the field swung for home, the race looked to be up for grabs, however Barnes was able to elicit the best from his mare, rallying strongly to claim a narrow victory.

The blanket finish saw Captain Of Speed hold on for a head margin over Arco, with Delightful Rainbow just a short-half-head away in third place.

Making the move to Queensland in 2021 when preparing 29 winners for the season, Hewitt matched that number in 2022, again preparing 29 winners for the term.

The win of Captain Of Speed was the 30^th winner this season for Hewitt, a new personal best since calling the Sunshine State home.

THIS WEEK

A Monday night meeting at Redcliffe will see the start of seven straight days of harness racing in Queensland.

Three of those will come from Redcliffe with the Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon fixtures accompanying the eight-race card on Monday night.

'The Creek' will also host three meetings for the week, 10 races on Tuesday afternoon are set down which will be followed by a Friday afternoon meeting before the Saturday night metropolitan fixture.

The racing week will conclude with a Sunday afternoon meeting from Marburg, with all races featuring the QBRED cash bonus.