Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - September 19

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

THE GOOD

Relocating to Queensland less than 12 months ago, Tim Butt has been slowly building his team back to strength after 2021 proved to be a year of frustration and change.

Consolidating the team through the first half of the year after the February floods added another setback, the Butt team has been finding its feet.

After preparing just 13 winners in 2021, the stable has hit its straps, with the latest double taking this term’s tally to 21 winners.

The rise in fortunes includes the Butt-team producing its first Saturday night winner and then backing up seven days later with its first metropolitan double since the relocation.

The Kiwi native has spent time living and training in Melbourne and Sydney in recent years.

The Butt-trained Swayzee franked his recent solid form by securing the Sky Racing Pink Ribbon Cup - the feature race of the night at Albion Park - with Adam Sanderson in the sulky.

The four-year-old gelding, who now has eight career victories is well-related. He is a half-brother to Australia’s top three-year-old Leap To Fame.

Starting as race favourite from gate four, he bullied his way to the front with 800 metres to travel, following an opening half of 56.8 seconds.

Keeping the pace on through a third split of 27.9, the four-year-old responded with a 28.4 closing panel to stop the clock at a rate of 1.53.0.

It was almost a stable quinella, with Riley Butt aboard Parama finishing third, 3.5 metres from the winner and just half a metre behind second-placed Brian Christopher.

In the last race of the night, Tim claimed a training double when trotter Cochy Malc, with Riley in the sulky, took the standing start event.

It was also Riley’s second Saturday winner, following the victory of Parama a week earlier, who is also trained by Tim.

Safely away when the tapes were released, Riley positioned Cochy Malc in the trail as Im The Commando set the speed.

When the passing lane presented in the closing stages, Cochy Malc darted through to hold off the fast-finishing Sir Fahrenheit to win by a neck.

Taking his tally to 18 wins for the term, Riley is now only one win off his best Australian season, which was in the extended 2019/20 term. He is also just three shy of 50 Australian victories.

As the Butt team continues to build, the next good horse to wear the maroon and cream might be two-year-old Borella.

A beautifully bred colt, he is by the champion sire Art Major and ranks as a half-brother to recent Group 1 winner Rock N Roll Doo.

Borella, with Riley taking the drive, will have his second career start in the fourth race at Albion Park on Tuesday afternoon following an impressive first-up second last week.

A win could be the perfect gift for Riley who also has a drive in the opening race - the Happy Birthday Riley Butt Trotters Handicap.

THE BAD

Partners off the track, fierce rivals on it, Narissa McMullen and Matt Elkins had been locked in their battle to reach 100 driving wins for the season.

On Friday night at The Creek, the pair went into the meeting in striking distance of the century with Narissa on 99 wins and Elkins on 98.

Five races in and with no change to the tally, it was bad news for Elkins as Narissa secured bragging rights with a victory aboard Hes Perfectly Ideal.

Also training the nine-year-old gelding, Narissa charged across from gate seven to find the front over the 2138-metre journey.

With brother Pete McMullen sitting in the trail aboard Mister Diamond, the win looked shaky halfway up the home stretch, but the veteran gelding responded to cling on for a half-neck victory to secure the century.

The win landed Narissa with her seventh century season and her fourth in succession, with another win added at Globe Derby on Saturday night.

Representing Queensland in the Australian Drivers Championships alongside brother Pete, Narissa came away with a victory aboard Bling It Up for trainer Ryan Hryhorec and finished fifth behind Victorian winner James Herbertson.

Meanwhile, Elkins, got one back on Friday night aboard Bourbonontherocks in the race immediately after Narissa posted the century.

Elkins then took full advantage of Narissa competing in SA on Saturday, by picking up the drive aboard the Mark Rees-trained Molliesmaryelle - a mare that McMullen normally partners.

Sending the six-year-old straight to the front, he kept them rolling and, with a sizzling 54.8 closing half, Elkins secured the win and his century - the third of his career.

Elkins rounded out his night with a double. He scored aboard the Vic Frost-trained Docta Feelgood, to level with Narissa on 101 wins for the term.

THE MILESTONE

Currently, in her fourth season of driving, Chloe Butler has reached 200 career wins after Zaras A Treasure saluted at Redcliffe on Wednesday night.

Trained by her father Jack, it was Zaras A Treasure’s fifth career win. The three-year-old filly was bred (and is owned) by one of Jack’s biggest stable supporters, the Rod Smith-owned Kriden Investments.

Jack and Smith have had a strong association.

Smith has had an interest in many of Jack’s top earners throughout his career, including Rock With Sam, Zaras Delight, Markey Oh Markey, Usane Flash and Sams A Champ.

Having steered her first winner at just her third drive, Chloe’s career has been on an upward trajectory since she darted through along the passing lane to win with One Wise Man in May 2019.

Bringing up her 200^th career win with a well-judged front running drive, Chloe dictated a steady opening half with the quarters run in 31.5 and 32.8.

With a controlled 30.5 third quarter, Chloe had the field chasing and sprinted home in 28.1 as she urged her filly to the wire to hold off a late challenge from Faireachdainn who had sat in the trail throughout.

With 60 wins for the term, Chloe looks well-placed to surpass her PB of 66 wins which was recorded last season.

Chloe is also starting to build her team as a trainer, having prepared 27 winners in the past two seasons, while gaining more opportunities from various outside stables.

With 12 training wins this season, her training strike rate is an impressive 20%.

THE WILDCARD

The trotting gait in Queensland continues to take huge bounds and last Tuesday at Albion Park it was on full display.

In the first two races, new age records for juvenile trotters were set with both winners sired by former world record performer Sebastian K.

Wewillseehowwego, trained by Chantal Turpin, won the two-year-old trot over the 1628 metre-standing start after beginning off a 20-metre handicap.

Driven by Hayden Barnes, the gelding was safely away from the tapes and was soon behind the leader to secure the perfect run.

Angling into space, the win was never in doubt, as Wewillseehowwego pulled clear for a dominant victory, stopping the clock in a mile rate of 2.01.4 and eclipsing the previous two-year-old benchmark by one second.

The record was held by Susan Is her Name, also prepared by Turpin at the time, and was recorded in June, with that filly also a daughter of Sebastian K.

Wewillseehowwego is owned by Taree dairy farmer John Polson, who also owns Blacksadance, the track record-breaking pacer that broke the 1.50 barrier last week.

One race later and the Graham Dwyer-trained filly Paris Kay smashed the three-year-old 1660 mobile record after leading all the way.

Driven by Nathan Dawson, he had the filly safely away to take control, running the field through splits of 28.7, 31.2, 28.8 and 29 to stop the clock in a rate of 1.57.5.

The win shattered the previous best time of 2.02.3 for a three-year-old which was set by Justabitnoisy in August 2015.

THIS WEEK

Six meetings will be held this week in Queensland, starting with Monday night at Redcliffe.

With eight races on the card, the Peninsula Club will also host a six-race programme on Wednesday night along with a Thursday afternoon meeting.

A 10-race card is on offer on Tuesday afternoon at The Creek, with the strength of the trotting pool in Queensland on full display with three races for square gaiters.

The other two meetings from Albion Park will be the Saturday night metropolitan fixture along with a Friday night card.

Saturday’s programme includes an Ultimate Tools Two-year-old event for $20,770, with Ultimate Tools providing a rug and trophy to the winning connections and $250 to the winning trainer and driver. The winning trainer will also receive a $500 voucher.