Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - February 21

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

THE GOOD

The 2021 harness season was celebrated on Sunday evening with the TAB Queensland Harness Awards recognising the achievements of the human and equine performers.

Jeradas Delight scooped the pool, claiming three awards for the night included the Horse of the Year title, with New South Wales-based owner Ray Cahill in attendance to claim the awards.

Trained in Queensland throughout the season by Jack Butler, the mare also secured the Queensland Aged Pacer of the Year and the Queensland Filly or Mare of the Year.

The season highlight was claiming the inaugural Group 1 Golden Girl, with a further five victories helping secure the main title over the other nominees, Teddy Disco, Cat King Cole, Turn It Up and L L Cool J.

Cat King Cole may have missed out on the top gong, however the star juvenile did secure the Queensland 2YO of the Year award following her first season of racing that secured six wins in nine starts highlighted by the Group 1 QBRED Fillies Triad Final.

The Queensland 3YO of the Year title went to the Shane Fraser-trained Manila Playboy; the classy pacers season hit a crescendo with a victory in the QBRED Colts and Geldings Triad Final, finishing the term with five wins in the year.

It was a superb season for the father and son combination of Daren and Angus Garrard, and the effort was recognised when Sir Fahrenheit was awarded the Queensland Trotter of the Year title.

The square gaiter was transformed by the Garrards in 2021, surpassing $100,000 in stakes for the term through his 10 victories, with a Group 2 victory the highlight during the Summer Carnival.

Recognising the emerging talent, the BOTRA Rookie of the Year is awarded to a male and a female participant.

Amy Cargill and Trent Lethaby claimed the award in 2021, Amy recognised for her first season as a trainer, while Trent’s deeds with Red Castleton caught the eye of the judges to gain the male division.

Two pacers were inducted into the Queensland Hall of Fame, Cane Smoke and Slipnslide.

Cane Smoke was a legend of the sport in North Queensland for the Manzelmann family, retiring with the Australian record for most ever race wins at 120.

Slipnslide was the winner of 37 races in his career that included a Chariots of Fire for Luke McCarthy, the former QBRED star also eclipsing $1million in career earnings.

Click here for a full list of the evening’s winners.

THE BAD

Weather conditions on Saturday night deteriorated throughout the night as a series of rain bands pushed through the Brisbane metropolitan region.

After starting the night with fine skies, by the end of the last of 11 races on the card, the track had become sloppy, but still safe enough for the meeting to be completed.

In front was the place to be by the time the starter released the strands in the final race of the night and Shane Graham was able to take full advantage of that position.

Driving Van Sank for trainer Shannon Price, it was a lucky pickup drive owing to regular driver Adam Sanderson being indisposed with a case of appendicitis.

Overcoming tractability issues that have been a source of frustration, Van Sank was at home in the slop, trotting cleanly throughout to claim an effortless victory.

Those back in the pack were not as fortuitous as Graham, with those in rearward positions close to unidentifiable by the end of the race.

The weather conditions may have gone from bad to worse as the night progressed, however the female drivers went from strength to strength, making it one of the most successful nights ever recorded for the Team Teal campaign.

The ladies were able to claim seven of the 11 races on the night, spearheaded by Taleah McMullen who was able to claim a driving treble with wins aboard Barkway Arnold, It Aint The Money and Blue Ivy.

The youngest McMullen sibling was ably supported by Narissa who was able to claim a driving double, while Chloe Butler and Trista Dixon chimed in with a win each.

With Pete McMullen being awarded with his National Drivers Premiership title at Sunday’s awards, Saturday night proved to be a McMullen domination, Pete adding two winners of his own, meaning the McMullen name claimed seven driving wins for the night.

There were also three training wins for the famed clan, Narissa with a double and Taleah scoring a training win with Barkway Arnold in the first race of the evening.

THE WILDCARD

The past week in Queensland highlighted that harness racing really is a sport for all, no matter age or gender.

The elder statesmen were up and about to show the young tackers that they still have the skills to compete, with Vic Frost, John Straiha, Des Pollock and Merv Hieronymus all claiming a training win in the past week.

John Stariha started the ball rolling when training and driving Golden Sand to victory at Albion Park last Tuesday in the third race of the day.

An enigmatic pacer that has required much patience, attention and effort to recapture winning form, Stariha topped it off when driving the gelding to perfection to claim victory.

At 80 years of age, Stariha was pipped by one year, as fellow octogenarian Vic Frost at age 81, scored in the fifth race of the day as Sugarkane claimed victory.

The five-year-old mare secured her 10^th victory and also ran the 1660 metres in a new career best mile-rate of 1.55.6.

Wednesday night at Redcliffe, 77-year-old Des Pollock who has just the two horses in work, claimed his first race success of 2022 when Jamaican Resort was able to lead all the way for driver Trent Moffat.

Thursday, again at The Triangle, Ella Under Fire was able to claim a maiden breaking win for owner and trainer Merv Hieronymus.

The win by the five-year-old mare provided her 79-year-old trainer with his first winner of the season, in a performance that indicated it may well not be the last.

At the other end of the scale, 18-year-old driver Chloe Butler secured a Saturday night driving success with Chasing The Wind to add to three second place finishes aboard Obi One, Rock With Sam and Bettor Romance.

Amy Cargill was rewarded for her efforts at the Awards evening with the BOTRA Rookie award, after her pacer Ring The Till continued his consistent form with a third placing at headquarters on Saturday night.

A training win and a driving treble completed the successful week for the future stars of the sport, Taleah McMullen with a strong Saturday night performance.

THE MILESTONE

Dan Russell reached triple figures on Friday afternoon at The Creek, claiming his 100^th victory as a trainer.

Preparing two runners in the third race of the day, Russell opted to take the reins behind Moonlight Butcher while main stable driver for the Russell team, Matt Elkins had the drive aboard Go Jo Jolt.

With a strong tempo in the early and middle stages of the event, Russell had angled Moonlight Butcher into the running line to be positioned one out and two back.

Peeling three and four-wide as the field swung for home, little Moonlight Butcher responded and finished best to claim victory by just over four metres on the line.

The year has started in good order for the busy Russell, with Friday’s victory taking his tally to 10 wins after just over one month of the season.

The past two seasons have been the best by numbers for Russell, with the extended season of 2019/20 returning 33 victories while in season 2021, he was able to prepare 26 winners.

Helping add to the tally this season has been the top form of Abercrombie Tab, the veteran nine-year-old a five-time winner this season.

In terms of number of wins, Moonlight Butcher moved equal with Butcherfeelgood with his latest success, both pacers now having won 11 races under the care of Russell.

Both pacers are raced by the Ebert family, with Darren and Kerry sharing the ownership of Moonlight Butcher, with Kerry the outright owner of Butcherfeelgood.

At the current rate of winners, 2022 could be a new benchmark for Russell.

THIS WEEK

The week ahead will again see five race meetings held in Queensland with the regular split of three from The Creek and two from The Triangle.

A lighter card is scheduled for Tuesday with just seven races to be decided at Albion Park.

The meeting will see Tim Butt turn out his first runners since relocating to Queensland with The Golden Lion and Kar Manor both lining up in the trot, the first race on the card.

Redcliffe will host the regular Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon meetings before racing returns to the CBD to round out the week.

Friday afternoon will see the second round of the Jim McNeil Series after Riley Moment and Regal Appointment scored in the first-round heats.

Saturday night’s programme includes a Team Teal Female Drivers Invitation race along with the Ultimate Tools three-year-old pace where the winning trainer also receives a $500 voucher courtesy of the race sponsor.