Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - February 5

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

THE GOOD

Queensland form was on full display at Melton on Saturday night when Leap To Fame and Frankie Ferocious were both successful in the A. G. Hunter Cup and 4YO Bonanza respectively.

Owned by Bill Crosby and formerly trained by Ben Crosby, Frankie Ferocious was transferred to the Jason Grimson stable after finishing his three-year-old season with successive victories.

Grimson wasted little time in finding a feature target for the high-speed gelding and the son of Captaintreacherous started from inside the second line in Saturday’s 4YO Bonanza.

With Cam Hart taking the drive, they looked to be in a spot of bother turning off the back, but Hart was able to find the space to shunt his way into the clear.

Letting down sharply, Frankie Ferocious sprinted hard and fast up the Melton stretch, the gelding reeled them in to score a highly impressive victory.

“Really, really happy, I was a bit paralysed after the finishing line but really happy with him,” Ben Crosby said after the race.

“He got an easy quarter down the back - the leader - and I thought "oh we will have to be good", but he let down pretty good.

“That’s the quickest he has ever let down and he looks to be striding a little bit better and a little bit longer, Jason has done a wonderful job with him."

The win now catapults Frankie Ferocious straight into the Chariots Of Fire, with the victory gaining a ballot exemption for Menangle’s premier four-year-old feature.

With a Miracle Mile invite guaranteed to the winner of the Chariots, the potential for a showdown with Leap To Fame could be on the horizon.

Just 30 minutes later and Leap To Fame became just the second Queensland-trained horse to win the A. G. Hunter Cup, the Grant Dixon-trained five-year-old stamping his class with a dominant performance.

He was three-wide through the first 600 metres before working to the front with two laps to travel, once Leap To Fame found the front, Dixon was able to control the race.

With the first two quarters of the last mile run in 30.4 and 29.5 seconds, Dixon dialled it up, with a sapping 27.1 second third split before finishing them off in 27.2 seconds, putting the race out of reach of the chasing pack.

Dont Stop Dreaming and Mark Purdon did emerge and the four-year-old was attacking the line over the closing stages to grab second place with Max Delight hugging the poles to grab third.

Victory took the record of Leap To Fame to 32 wins from 42 starts, with his career earnings eclipsing $2 million, moving into 21^st place overall on the Australasia money earners list.

With a big season ahead, owner Kevin Seymour and Dixon are contemplating staying another week in Victoria to target the Cranbourne Cup, with acceptances for the $100,000 feature closing on Tuesday morning.

THE BAD

Finishing last in successive races may not be seen as the optimum result for a trainer.

However, a closer look at the circumstances of the last two races at 'The Creek' on Saturday night tell a different story, as although it was a pair of Ben Battle-trained runners that were each at the tail of the field, each winner came from the same stable.

After finishing 2023 with his biggest haul of winners in a single season in his career, Battle has continued the form into 2024.

Surpassing 200 career training wins in January, the Battle stable claimed a metropolitan double on Saturday night, winning successive races to close out the card.

With Pete McMullen entrusted on both runners, Heaven Attracts and Lulu Lucifer were successful, with nine-year-old mare Heaven Attracts having just her third start since joining the Battle stable.

Sent straight to the front by ‘Leader Pete’, Heaven Attracts was well rated in front by McMullen, running the first half of the last mile in a conservative 63.2 seconds.

With a steady third split of 29 seconds, McMullen had saved the mare for a last panel blitz, and she was able to respond by ripping down the stretch in 26.7 seconds to claim the 11^th victory of her career.

One race later and this time McMullen took the trail as Angelshavtime zipped across to find the front, with Lulu Lucifer tucking straight into the trail through an opening half of 58.9 seconds. 

Running off the back in 28.2 seconds, the leader was being felt for, while Carly Morgan was emerging from the pack wider on the track.

Sticking to the inside, McMullen angled Lulu Lucifer to the passing lane, with the mare responding and darting through to hit the front and hold on for victory by the barest possible margin.

Stopping the clock in a 1.54.7 mile, it was the seventh win and best time recorded by the five-year-old which has started the season in great form with two wins and two placings from her five attempts.

THE MILESTONE

A total of 69 starts for three placings would be enough to test the patience of many.

However, trainer Trent Hodges was repaid for his determination at Marburg on Sunday when Singer Snap was finally able to break maiden ranks at the 70^th start of her career.

Arriving with Hodges in May of 2021, the Shadow Play mare had been unplaced in her first seven appearances for Victorian trainer Mick Buckingham.

Starting from barrier one on Sunday, trainer and driver Trent Hodges soon found himself buried three back along the inside as Nathan Dawson and Happy Snap worked to the front.

Approaching the 600 metre mark, Hodges was able to angle into space and moving three-wide was able to inch forward, slowly eating into the margin before arriving in the last strides to claim victory.

One race later and Dont Yoube Naughty also repaid the faith and patience of her trainer and owner, Lynne Collins, the mare winning her third race at start 86.

It had been 50 starts since the six-year-old mare last tasted success, that win coming in October of 2022, with the drought breaking win also helping the 2024 Team Teal contributions.

Having her first start on the mare, Taleah McMullen made full use of barrier one, darting through to take control and lead them all the way to score by five metres over Takidah, with Mammals Destiny holding on for third after a tough run outside the leader.

THE WILDCARD

The 2024 Team Teal campaign is under way and it did not take long for the first winner to arrive.

Paige Bevan not only claimed the first winner in Queensland for the Team Teal ladies for this year, but Paige was also the first winner in Australia when guiding Stompem to victory at Redcliffe last Thursday.

Alanah Richardson looked set to be the first winner, kicking well clear as the field swung for home, with her drive Docta Feelgood establishing what looked a winning break.

However, he started to tippy-toe approaching the line and Stompem chased hard under Bevan’s urgings, arriving on the line to claim victory by a neck margin.

Trained by Grant Dixon, Stompem has been a consistent performer for several seasons, the latest victory the 24^th of his career as he moves within striking distance of $200,000 lifetime earnings.

Friday night at Albion Park saw the Dixon and Bevan combination again land another victory for Team Teal, with Captains Pick winning the opening race of the night.

Resuming from a let up, Bevan positioned Captains Pick in the one-by-one trail soon after the start as an electric tempo unfolded in front, with a 26.1 second opening panel appearing on the board.

Finishing best in the stretch, Captains Pick was able to hold off the fast-finishing Littlelioneljames and Leonard Cain to record the 15^th win of his career and take a new lifetime mark of 1.53.8 with the victory.

Taleah McMullen claimed the first Marburg Team Teal win of 2024, leading throughout on Dont Yoube Naughty for trainer Lynne Collins.

After four days of the campaign in Queensland, the tally sits at nine wins- Lola Weidemann (three), Taleah McMullen (two), Paige Bevan (two), Narissa McMullen (one) and Dannielle Veivers (one).

THIS WEEK

Racing for the week ahead begins on Tuesday afternoon with eight races from Albion Park, the meeting starting with three trotting events to be followed by five pacing races.

Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon will see Redcliffe cover their regular slots; Friday is back to Albion Park for an afternoon fixture before the racing week will conclude at 'The Creek' with the Saturday night metropolitan fixture.

Sunday at Albion Park, the second Sunshine Stars Yearling Sale will be held with 70 catalogued lots chasing some big prize money when they potentially hit the track in 2025.