Playboy all class as big 3YO season looms

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

THE GOOD

Manila Playboy returned from a spell in superb fashion last Tuesday at Albion Park when blitzing his rivals to claim a dominant first-up victory.

Following a two-year-old season that netted four wins - including a Group 1 victory in the Redcliffe Yearling Sales Series Final - Manila Playboy was set for a Sydney campaign in late January.

Tackling the Simpson Memorial with a view to a possible NSW Derby tilt, Shane Fraser returned home after the lone start - a fifth behind He Aint Fakin in a sizzling 1.51.3 mile.

Giving the Pet Rock gelding a break, the three-year-old was preparing for his latest campaign and stepped out in a recent trial behind the race-fit Talent To Spare.

It was a smart hit out and had Manila Playboy primed for his first-up assault.

Starting a prohibitive odds-on favourite despite drawing an inside second-line barrier, driver Shane Graham was taking no chances of bad luck and soon angled the gelding away from the pegs to the running line.

Making a move at the 600m, Manila Playboy was allowed to slide up and by the 400m, Graham pulled the trigger and the pair exploded away.

Running home in slick closing fractions, the gelding ran his last 800 metres in 54.62, with a closing 400-metre split of 27.5 seconds to leave his rivals gasping.

The official winning margin was 35.3 metres, untouched as Shane Graham sat quietly all the way up the stretch.

It was a devastating return for the talented gelding, taking his record to five wins from 11 starts as a big three-year-old campaign looms.

It was a successful day for Shane Fraser, securing a training double, with the half-sister of Manila Playboy, Cheesandkisses, winning just two races later.

Now a four-time winner, the four-year-old mare also secured a PB result when lowering her benchmark to 1.55.8 with the near two-metre victory.

The Fraser family have had some handy horses over the years, but Manila Playboy might just be the best to come from their barn.

With the upcoming QBRED Triad on the radar, the excitement is starting to build.

THE BAD

Race two from The Creek on Friday night shaped on paper as a two-horse battle between a pair of talented three-year-olds and former stablemates in the form of Justa Little Bit and Big Wheels.

Justa Little Bit was a four-time winner in his first season of racing, that included claiming the consolation of the Redcliffe Yearling Sales Series.

Big Wheels was also a four-time winner during his two-year-old term, with his victories including the big QBRED double, claiming the Breeders Classic and Triad.

After meeting twice last season, Big Wheels went into Friday’s assignment with a 2-0 lead over Justa Little Bit, with both horses returning from a freshen.

Stepping out over the 2138-metre distance for the first time, Big Wheels came out of the machine in a full-stretch gallop, with his chances of success looking forlorn.

The early error allowed Justa Little Bit to capitalise, and he was sent to the front by driver Nathan Dawson, taking the reins for trainer Jarrod Alchin.

With just under one mile to run, Pete McMullen sent the Chantal Turpin-trained Big Wheels forward and into attack mode to find the front.

Approaching the home turn, the talented pair edged away from their rivals and the bad manners of Big Wheels proved the difference as they settled down to fight it out.

Right-lined, Justa Little Bit had enough in reserve to grab Big Wheels and pull back a win in their head-to-head rivalry.

The talented pair will clash again this season, with the three-year-old Triad Final on May 15, firmly locked in the sights of both pacers.

A showdown with Manila Playboy looks on the cards.

THE MILESTONE

Phil Chappenden is not required to drive that often, with his son Zac able to take the reins for the family stable runners on most occasions.

However, in recent weeks, Phil has been in the cart more regularly and the family secured a momentous occasion at Redcliffe back on April 14.

On that night, son, mother, and father all drove in the same event with Phil, Zac and Melissa Kendall all competing against each other in the same race for the first time.

Success may not have come that night, but last Monday at Redcliffe, Phil Chappenden was able to break through for his first driving win this season.

At the reins of Holdingno Currency, owned and trained by wife Melissa, Phil was able to find the gaps to claim victory on the fifth event of the evening.

Starting from gate one, the gelding was soon locked away three back against the markers as Jewel Of Peak was setting the tempo in front.

Driving a patient race, Chappenden could have angled wider going down the back, but stayed calm and stuck to the inside.

Running up on the back of the tiring leader, Holdingno Currency found the passing lane and had the momentum to charge through and take the win.

It was the third time that Phil had partnered the gelding, and the triumph signalled the first win of the season for both horse and driver.

Equalling his lone win last season in the bike, Holdingno Currency was rewarded for some consistent efforts that have come without reward in recent outings.

THE WILDCARD

Trot Rods are back for 2021 and last Wednesday evening, the first two heats were staged at Redcliffe.

With a format that suits his style of driving, Leader Peter (McMullen) was driving the punters-elect, Elle Jay in the first heat.

Ironically, McMullen went back in the early stages of the race as the lead was keenly contested between Whata Reactor driven by Nathan Dawson and Feeling The Power driven by Andrew Millard.

Driving the patient race, McMullen came with his run at the perfect time to hold off a fast-finishing Midnight Queen and take the victory.

The second heat went the way of Living Free, driven by Angus ‘The Kid’ Garrard.

Firing out of the barrier, it was a bold front-running drive that paid dividends as Garrard was able to ease Living Free down over the final stages to score a commanding victory.

With a 28.8-second opening split, Living Free opened a huge break and with an overall time of 66.5 seconds, is the current leader as the fastest winner.

Living Free looks tailor-made for the Trot Rods Series, and takes his record to two wins from two attempts at the short-course format, after claiming a victory in 2020.

With the 2021 Series offering some big incentives - including a two-horse Otto Tuza float to the trainer of the fastest winner across the Series - the action looks set to sizzle over the next five weeks.

THIS WEEK

Five race meetings will be held in Queensland this coming week, with the ‘regular’ timeslots being filled from Tuesday through Saturday.

Albion Park will host a nine-race program on Tuesday afternoon that will be complemented by Friday and Saturday action under lights.

Redcliffe will host 20 races across two days, with 10 races apiece on both Wednesday and Thursday’s fixture.

On Wednesday night at The Triangle, a further two heats of the Trot Rods will be held, following on from the start of the Series last week.

However, the highlight of the week is on Saturday at The Creek, where three Group 2 Australian Pacing Gold races are set down.

A $50,000 mixed sex consolation for the four-year-olds will be held, with the $210,000 Finals for each sex being held at Melton on the same night.

Meanwhile, there will be Gold Bullion Finals for two-year-old colts and geldings and for fillie s- offering $50,000 in stakes for each sex.

Cat King Cole was an impressive winner of the girls heat and Leap To Fame was an easy all the way winner of the boys division, and both look the ones to beat in their respective Finals.