Was history created at Albion Park on Tuesday?
During the eight race program, the four McMullen siblings took away half the program with Pete, Narissa, Dannielle and Taleah all tasting glory.
The ‘awesome foursome’ are the children of John and Jennette McMullen.
Both sides of the family are steeped in harness racing history and the McMullen name is synonymous and a constant at all race meetings staged in south-east Queensland.
But today is the first time that all four siblings have landed a winner at the same meeting.
It started with the eldest of the siblings, Pete taking the Changeover @ Burwood Stud Pace with Our Delight who scooted the sprint lane to run down Miss Mia in a time of 2:01.
Our Delight is trained by Pete’s wife, Chantal Turpin.
It was the maiden victory for the Bettors Delight filly that is raced by her breeder, Tony Turpin – Pete’s father-in-law.
Up next, Dannielle guided Ima Top Tycoon to victory in the Seymour Group Pace when defeating Ned Pepper and Might And Main in a time of 1:55.8.
Ima Top Tycoon is prepared by Ryan Veivers, partner of Dannielle.
Narissa then stepped up and took the Lunchbox Lodge Spelling Farm Pace when leading all the way with former New Zealand pacer Tom Me Gun in a stunning time of 1:55.5 for the 2138m distance.
It was his first local start and the Courage Under Fire gelding is raced and trained by Narissa.
In the final event of the day, Taleah shot through along the sprint lane with Waste Of Time to take the UBET Pace in a time of 1:58.5 defeating Famous Shoes and Modernday Falcon.
Waste Of Time is prepared by big sister Dannielle, the veteran gelding scoring his first win since May last year.
And just for good measure, cousin Nathan Dawson also scored at the program when Tell The Linesman took the Gotta Go Cullect @ Egmont Park Stud Pace.
Dawson currently leads the Queensland Drivers Premiership with 156 winners.
Scanning the record books, this feat has never been achieved before on a Queensland racetrack and when digging a little deeper, it may be a first across the nation.
Back in 1989 at Yarra Valley, three sisters in Rosemarie Weidenbach, Gaita Pullicino and Rita Burnett all steered winners at the meeting.
The Turnbull clan holds a record where they finished in the top five placings in an event at Bathurst back in 1988.
The record of the first 5 place getters in a race driven by members of the same family belongs to the Turnbull’s after Cindy Rixon (nee Turnbull) beat home her father Tony and brothers Steve, Craig and Greg in the Family Hotel Pace.
So, it may well be history that was created at the famed Breakfast Creek oval.
And it’s not the first time history has been created in the Sunshine State after the father/son combination of Greg and Matt Elkins scored a deadheat victory last year.
Chris Barsby | RQ Web News | July 10