Northview hustles back into the winners circle

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

THE GOOD

It had been a frustrating time for connections of Northview Hustler, with bad barriers seemingly plaguing his summer campaign.

Inside the second line in the Queensland Cup, gate six in the Blacks A Fake, gate six in the Christmas Cup - a streak of bad gates at the worst time possible.

After landing another gate seven at headquarters on Boxing Day, it was welcome relief to trainer Al Barnes to secure gate two for Northview Hustler’s first outing in the new season.

With Hayden Barnes in the sulky, the pair made the most of the improved alley when sent straight to the lead over the 1660-metre sprint.

Firing off the arm, Secretagent Tycoon was all but across, however Hayden was able to remain composed to hold the leading role.

Repelling that early challenge, Barnes was able to pinch a pedestrian 31-second quarter after a slippery 26.8 opening split.

Powering home in closing splits of 27.8 and 27, the field were chasing in vain as Northview Hustler stopped the clock in a new personal best of 1.52.5.

A striking looking gelding, Northview Hustler has now started on 39 occasions since joining the Al Barnes stable, recording 7 wins and 8 placings.

Barriers are so important in the sport and it could be a vastly different scorecard if the bad gates had not been at play.

From his 39 starts under the care of Barnes, Northview Hustler has started from gate five or wider on 20 occasions.

Starting a $10-elect, the Hustler had been going better than his numbers suggested, running home smartly in recent outings against stronger fields – and the chance to be aggressive from the start paid dividends in the small field.

It was the prefect start to 2021 for the seven-year-old, with the win his 15^th overall and propelling his stakes to $220,000.

Making hay while the sun shines - a mantra that might ring true in coming weeks - more races can be at the mercy of Northview Hustler with the ‘big boys’ off the scene.

THE BAD

Mark Dux faced a serious health scare at the end of 2019, requiring major heart surgery.

Once that surgery was complete, Dux was the recipient of a quadruple heart bypass.

The bad news was tempered by the strength of the Dux family who all stepped forward to ensure the stable continued to operate while Mark underwent a prolonged recuperation.

Fast forward almost 12 months and Dux was given the green light by doctors to return to the sulky.

In a steady approach as he worked his way back, Mark began to drive more frequently as each week passed.

In the extended racing season, Dux had reined three winners with two victories aboard The Ragnbone Man and another thanks to Pinup Boy - all coming back in late 2019.

On December 30, 2020 - 419 days since his last winner and after facing the bad news of requiring open-heart surgery - Mark Dux completed his comeback.

Whilst some believe 13 is an unlucky number, Dux completed the comeback victory aboard the eleven-year-old veteran Machin Out who was having career start 352, with the victory the 13^th time the gelding has been successful for the Dux stable.

Having joined the stable back in 2017, Machin Out has been a consistent performer for his connections, who are loyal clients of the Dux Stable.

Since being claimed back in mid-2017, under the watchful training of Mark Dux, the gelding has had 155 starts for 13 wins and 29 placings for stakes of $88,506.

With a strong finish to the last season, the bad looks to have been left behind to usher in the new season with the good.

THE MILESTONE

The first race of the new season was a Mac attack, claimed on Friday by Corindhap Creek - trained by Peter McKay, and driven to victory by Taleah McMullen.

With the racing season adjusted to shadow the calendar year, 2021 started the best way possible for McKay with a personal best victory to his pacer.

Corindhap Creek is trained, owned, and bred by Peter McKay, with the gelding’s six victories all coming when partnered by Taleah McMullen.

Bred out of the mare Saunders Jewel - a mare that McKay trained to five victories - Corindhap Creek is a four-year-old son of Mr Feelgood.

It is the second foal from Saunders Jewel for McKay and is a full brother to Nesters Hill, a two-time winner last season for the McKay/McMullen combination.

It was also a milestone win for Mr Feelgood, opening the season in winning fashion after claiming the Queensland Sires Premiership for the first time, de-throning two-time champion Bettors Delight.

It is the first time since the 2010/11 season when Bonamax was crowned the leading sire in the state, that the title has gone to a stallion that has been domiciled in Queensland.

Mr Feelgood also finished the term as the leading sire of three-year-olds, while Hurrikane Kingcole claimed the two-year-old title.

THE WILDCARD

Never too far away from the sport, Ricky Thurlow has re-emerged from the harness racing wilderness with a successful week in the cart.

The New South Welshman burst onto the scene back in the 1991/92 season, winning three of his first four race drives.

Since then, Thurlow has driven every season since and his latest victory took his tally to 472 career winners as a driver.

After an extended period watching on, Thurlow left it until late in the season to claim his only victory in season 2019/20.

Deputising for the suspended Rob Gorman, Ricky Thurlow went to the grass meeting at Kilcoy for three drives - all on Gorman-trained pacers.

Starting the day in perfect fashion, Major Lucky was able to claim the fourth race on the card when leading throughout.

It was not all plain sailing with a protest lodged against the winner, it took some more ringcraft to ensure the win was not taken.

With a further two drives that both returned second-placed results, it proved a good day out at the Moonee Valley of the North.

With the new season starting last Friday, Ricky Thurlow landed a winning double with victories aboard Mister Donald for Craig Cross and Mister Decorum for Rob Gorman.

Making the most of partnering the Craig Cross-prepared horses, Ricky backed up his Friday success with a strong win aboard Ranger Bomb on Saturday night.

He may only have eleven winners in the past seven seasons, however after two race meetings, Queensland has a new driver at the top of the leaderboard.

THIS WEEK

The first full week of the new season will see five race meetings held throughout the state.

Albion Park on Tuesday will play host to an eight-race card and Redcliffe on Wednesday night holds a big ten-race meeting to start the year.

This week will be the first time in an extended period that there are just five race meetings on the programme.

In recent months, there has regularly been six or seven meetings for the week, however five will be the standard for January to start the season.

Fields to be added to those already declared for Tuesday and Wednesday are Redcliffe Thursday afternoon and Albion Park Friday afternoon and Saturday night.