Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton
THE GOOD
It was a strong week for Chantal Turpin with six training winners, including a metropolitan treble, and securing a Saturday driving victory with her only drive for the night.
Concentrating more on training and leaving the driving to premiership-leading husband Pete McMullen, Chantal only takes the reins when required, with her other five training wins all coming with McMullen in the bike.
With the stable preparing three runners in Saturday night’s Burwood Stud 2YO pace, the door was open for Turpin to don the silks for a solitary drive aboard the Huntsville-gelding Wisper A Secret (pictured, right).
Securing the perfect trip behind the speed with Wisper A Secret, the gelding was angled off the back of leader My Ultimate Jacko in the stretch and charged home over the top for victory.
It was Turpin’s 400th driving victory, a figure that had been slowly approaching because of limited race drives.
This season Chantal has claimed 4 winners from just 38 drives, which followed her 8 wins in 2021.
While Chantal limits her race driving, her husband McMullen is in a strong position to defend both the State and National driving titles.
He has a 19-win lead in both premierships after adding 10 victories to his tally in the past week.
With six training wins for the week, it all started for Chantal at The Creek on Tuesday when Keneturio continued the dominance of the stable in the two-year-old trotters races this season with the Centurion ATM-filly landing her second career victory.
Completing a double for the day, Roses Are Sweet took out the three-year-old fillies Triad Consolation after leading throughout from gate five.
On Friday, The High Commander remained undefeated in Australia for the stable after the gelding secured his third successive win since he crossed the Tasman.
Chantal, on Saturday, claimed honours for the night with a training treble after Uncle Shank, Wisper A Secret and King Of The North all won.
The highlight was the win of Uncle Shank (pictured), with McMullin putting on a power-running clinic with the four-year-old out in front.
With splits of 26.9, 28.3, 26.7 and 28.4, the mile rate closed out at a sizzling 1.50.4, the equal second-fastest rate ever recorded at The Creek, alongside Cruz and Im Themightyquinn.
Only one horse has gone quicker around the 1000-metre oval – Blacksadance, which was trained by Chantal and gives her the distinction of having trained the fastest and equal second fastest winners at The Creek.
In claiming the training treble, Turpin moved to 93 wins for the season, to leapfrog Grant Dixon into second place on the State Trainer’s Premiership but still 13 wins adrift of leader Jack Butler.
With an already busy season ticking away, things are about to get busier at Turpin-McMullen’s Somerset Farm, with A Rocknroll Dance to start the upcoming stud season at his new Queensland home.
THE BAD
Leap To Fame made his first race appearance at The Creek on Friday night since he claimed the Queensland Derby in July and it was a case of bad luck for the other three-year-olds.
Despite facing gate seven, the country’s top three-year-old showed complete dominance and was never tested on his way to an emphatic victory.
Settling rearward after easing off the gate, driver Grant Dixon made his move with a lap to travel after Teddy Feels Good strolled through a steady lead time of 37.7 preceding a first half of 59.7.
Pressing on to take control with 1000 metres to travel, Leap To Fame ran a 28-second third quarter which had the field chasing.
Turning for home, Dixon had a strong hold on Leap To Fame and the pair cruised to the easiest of victories. The winning margin of 13-metres headlined by what appeared an effortless 26.8 closing panel.
Classie Washington was the best of the chasing pack to grab second place, the Daren Garrard-trained pacer maintained his Queensland record where he has yet to miss a place from eight attempts.
With Leap To Fame on a Victorian Derby path, with that feature to be held on October 8, the Andy Gath-trained Catch A Wave was back in winning form at Melton on Saturday night and looms as a danger to the Queensland star.
Just like it was bad news for his older opposition on Friday at Albion Park, Catch A Wave might just get to see what the back of Leap To Fame looks like.
THE MILESTONE
Bree Evans claimed her first training victory at Albion Park on Friday when Archilles was successful in the fifth race of the night.
The five-year-old gelding was just the second horse that Evans had trained and the milestone arrived at just her ninth attempt.
Gearing her first starter Harry Kane back in June, it was almost the perfect start for Evans when the three-year-old ran second at his first Australian outing after almost crashing to the track on the home turn.
After another two unplaced efforts, the decision was made to make a switch of the two horses Bree owns that were racing. Harry Kane moved into partner Hayden Barnes’ stable with Archilles shifting into Evans’ care.
Starting as favourite in his first race appearance for Evans in July, the gelding finished third behind Bella Bronski.
Unplaced at his next two starts, Archilles (pictured) finished third at his following two starts, including on QStars night behind One Last Roll.
After landing gate four on Friday night, Barnes was hopeful of finding the front after the recent good form of the five-year-old.
She speared out of the machine when the arms folded and was in front within 200-metres.
Never headed thereafter, the gelding took victory in a new career-best winning time of 1.55.5, after running through quarters of 27.6, 30.4, 28.7 and home in 28.9, to claim the fifth win of his career.
Lucky to be alive after a serious bout of colic as a two-year-old in late 2018, it was not even sure if the gelding would make it to the track.
His latest victory took his career to five wins and 10 minor placings from 55 starts, with three wins coming since Evans took ownership of the gelding.
With the maiden training victory now out of the way, the only step left for Evans is to graduate to race driving.
Having trained and owned her own winner, that first driving win might just be on the horizon as Evans continues towards gaining her race driving licence at the trials.
THE WILDCARD
Brendan Barnes became the fourth Queensland driver to reach 100 wins for the year when he scored aboard the Graham Dwyer-trained Misstrepo on Wednesday night at Redcliffe.
Heading into the meeting on 99 winners in 2022, Barnes steered race favourite Brian Christopher in the opening event - a pacer owned by his father Al.
Despite a game performance, second placing was all Brian Christopher could manage, with Hector securing victory for trainer Colin Knox and driver Matt Elkins.
Once again, sitting behind race favourite- Zaras A Treasure in the second race, Barnes took the trail in the early stages of the 2040-metre event.
With plenty of space to challenge, the filly was unable to run down the leader and winner The Maharani which pulled clear to win by 11 metres.
It was a case of third-time lucky for Brendan when he overcame a wide gate aboard Misstrepo (pictured) to score a swooping victory in the third race.
Having driven the bald-face mare on four previous occasions for a pair of second placings, he eased back at the start from gate five to sit three back in the running line.
Looking to be in some trouble when getting carted back by a tiring leader, Barnes found the space to angle three-wide before continuing on four-wide from the 400-metre point.
The widest runner swinging for home, the five-year-old mare responded and let down strongly to claim her seventh victory.
After driving winners at three successive meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Barnes ended the week with a Saturday night double.
Coming with a well-timed finish after settling three back against the pegs, Barnes landed the money with Northview Hustler in the free-for-all - the 20th career victory for the 8YO gelding.
Two races later and it was a front-running drive aboard Bonnie Prince Louis for trainer Ben Battle that capped a strong week in the sulky.
Claiming his fourth successive century season and moving to 103 wins this term, Barnes ended the week on 699 career victories.
THIS WEEK
Seven straight days of harness racing action are on the calendar in Queensland this coming week.
It all starts on Monday night at Redcliffe with an eight-race card, with the Peninsula Club also hosting eight races on Wednesday night along with their Thursday afternoon meeting.
Albion Park chimes in with three meetings for the week, starting with nine races on Tuesday afternoon, followed by a night meeting on Friday before the Saturday metropolitan meeting.
Marburg wraps up the seven-day bonanza with a bumper day of racing on Sunday afternoon.
There will be heats of the Up To 90 along with the Up To 70 pace, with both events boasting a Final at Albion Park for $20,770.
The popular Marburg to Albion Series is back with heats for the Final to be held on September 10 for the 46-53 rated pacers.
The annual Graham Harriott Memorial Trot will also be held in honour of the former Marburg Pacing Association President.