Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - June 26

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

THE GOOD

Following on from the greatest ever Patrons Purse held eight days prior, Saturday night’s Redcliffe meeting was arguably the best assembled card of racing seen at the Peninsula track.

With 10 high quality fields that included consolations for each of the main events, there was quality racing all night, with a few new records established.

Held under the name of the Princess of the Bay for the first time in 2023, it was trainer Gemma Hewitt that walked away with the lion's share of the prize money, training the quinella with Cala Jane defeating stable mate Sarah Anne.

After starting from inside the second line, Cala Jane was always going to be relying on some luck and with the map working to her favour, Miss Mucho - from gate one - was able to repel the early challengers to set the tempo.

With a slick lead time of 11.1 seconds followed by opening quarters of 28 and 29 seconds, there was no respite as race favourite Manhattan for Jack and Chloe Butler continued to pour on the pressure, with a third split of 28.2 seconds. 

Turning for home, Miss Mucho was starting to feel the pinch, while Leonard Cain aboard Cala Jane was sweating on a run appearing in time.

As they straightened for the run to the judge, Cain angled his mare for the passing lane and Cala Jane responded, darting through to claim a decisive victory, stopping the clock in 1.53.5, to defeat the stable mate, Sarah Anne.

The winning time smashed the previous mare’s class record set in the same race last year when The Honey Queen was successful, taking 1.5 seconds off the mark.

Hewitt trains the six-year-old for her cousin, Joe Picker, with the mare now the winner of 15 races, Saturday’s victory just outside her own personal best of 1.53 recorded last November at Albion Park.

Out of Picker’s former Group 1-winning mare Just Cala, who contested the 2014 Queensland Oaks, Cala Jane will be a force in any of the upcoming mare’s features, especially if she can get a draw to follow speed, with her closing power a real asset.

Meanwhile, the second-place finish of Sarah Anne edged the seven-year-old closer to $100,000 in stake earnings.

Driven by Brendan Barnes on Saturday, he settled the mare in the running line and moved up wider on the track as the field swung for home, urging Sarah Anne down the stretch, finishing narrowly ahead of a brave Manhattan.

Barnes finished runner-up later in the evening aboard Jewel Melody, sent north into Gemma’s care by her father and trainer Bernie Hewitt, the star filly working hard in the run and unable to repel the finishing power of Cheer Leader.

STARGAZING

The Constellations Carnival is under way and Redcliffe’s night of nights will provide solid form referencing as the carnival moves to 'The Creek' over the next four Saturday nights.

Jason Grimson trained the quinella in the Redcliffe Gold Cup with Loyalist franking his first-up performance for Grimson by defeating Betterzippit.

Both horses contested the Nullarbor earlier this season in Perth where they clashed with the Queensland-bound Magnificent Storm who wrapped up his preparations on Friday night at Gloucester Park.

Coming off a mammoth 60 metre handicap, it was a huge effort in running second, with the six-year-old ready to depart WA in peak form.

An effortless win on Friday night just one race later in the Group 3 The Kerry Clarke might have been enough to seal the ticket for Wonderful To Fly to also make the trip east.

Back at Redcliffe, Tims A Trooper will search for ballot exemption for the Rising Sun through the Queensland Sun this Saturday, the four-year-old finishing unplaced in the Redcliffe Cup as the favourite after making an error when the tapes released.

Jewel Melody lost no admirers with a tough second in the Redcliffe Oaks behind Cheer Leader, with No Dramas an eye-catcher from back in the pack to grab third.

Rocknroll Hammer kept his Queensland Derby campaign on track when scoring a narrow victory over Aardies Flash in the Redcliffe Derby, the 1.55.6 eclipsing the three-year-old class record for the 2280 metre journey.

At Menangle, Spirit Of St Louis had his last hit-out before making the trip to Queensland for another tilt at the Sunshine Sprint and Blacks A Fake. Tackling the Golden Mile, the six-year-old led throughout in 1.51.5 to hold off Taipo.

Further south, Chris Svanosio may have finalised a spot for the four-year-old trotting mare Lady Adelia, a Great Square hopeful after she was runner-up to the superstar mare Queen Elida in the Group 3 Matriarch Trot at Melton on Saturday.

Four-year-old trotter Hesallmuscle remained undefeated this season after another dominant win at Bendigo last Friday and might just have done enough to earn a trip to Queensland.

The Emma Stewart-trained gelding finished sixth in last season’s three-year-old Breeders Crown Final behind Harry Stamper. 

THE WILDCARD

Grant Dixon extended his lead in the states trainer’s premiership with a dominant display at Redcliffe on Saturday night.

Dixon claimed four winners on the night to take his season tally to 114 wins, 25 clear of second placed Chantal Turpin on 89, with last season’s winner, Jack Butler, a further 14 wins back on 75.

Also driving all four of the winners on Saturday, it proved winning doubles for two of Dixon’s loyal clients with GSM Racing and Solid Earth each represented by a pair of winners.

The night started when Aroda was able to claim the Redcliffe Derby Consolation, the three-year-old capitalising on the early circumstances to lead throughout.

With race favourite Alta Magacian galloping out of the mobile, Aroda was sent forward to take control and once in front, held off a late challenge from Hold Onto Ya Bling with Neptune three metres away in third.

In the Redcliffe Gold Cup Consolation, Miracle Moose was able to claim his first win in Queensland, stepping straight to the front where he would remain throughout.

The seven-year-old led home a stable trifecta with Tennyson Bromac holding second and Jonah Jones charging home for third.

In the Yearling Sales Two-Year-Old Final, it was again an all the way win for Dixon, this time aboard the Gotta Go Cullect filly Bettor Cullect.

Bred and owned by Solid Earth, Bettor Cullect started the $2 favourite and was able to pinch a steady opening half in 62.8 seconds in a race that was hampered by severe interference to many in the field after 400 metres.

With a 27.6 second third quarter, Bettor Cullect was never in danger, scoring over the Shannon Price-trained Reason To Shine and the Jan Aitkenhead-prepared Take A Chance.

The win was Dixon’s third training success in the race and fifth as a driver.

Completing the quartet of wins was a swooping finish in the Redcliffe Oaks with Cheer Leader, the filly starting a $61 chance with TAB fixed odds.

Settled three back along the inside as Peaceful set the pace in front, Jewel Melody was sent forward from gate six to apply the pressure in the run.

With Peaceful under pressure turning for home, Jewel Melody worked to the front, while Cheer Leader had managed to get off the fence at the 400 metre mark and loomed wider on the track.

Charging hard down the outside, Cheer Leader arrived for the victory, with the time just 0.1 seconds outside the class record set by Amore Vita in the race last year.

THE MILESTONE

He is the year older half-brother of the best four-year-old pacer in the country.

However, Swayzee was not going to let Leap To Fame hog the limelight after his track record demolition in the Redcliffe Patrons Purse, smashing an older track record of his own just four days later.

Nominated to contest the Patrons Purse, the Jason Grimson-trained pacer was balloted from the Redcliffe feature and instead lined up over the Albion Park 2138 metre journey last Tuesday from gate seven. 

With Grimson making a rare driving appearance to take the reins behind the five-year-old, he made his intentions clear soon after the start, pressing forward and driving hard to find the front until taking control of the race with 1500 metres to travel.

Once in front, Grimson never took his foot off the pedal and continued to maintain the rage, with opening quarters of 28.3 and 28.6 seconds. 

Extending the margin down the back straight through a 27.7 second third split, Swayzee finished them off in 28.3 seconds to stop the clock in a mile rate of 1.52.0, breaking the track record with the 29-metre victory.

The previous track record was held by Bling It On, set in the 2015 Group 1 Gold Coast Cup, defeating Philadelphia Man in the feature event.

Swayzee remains undefeated since joining the Grimson stable, with four wins next to his name and all four recorded on different tracks - Bathurst, Menangle, Goulburn and the latest Albion Park victory.

For Grimson, who prefers to stick mostly to the training side, it was his second driving win this season, at just his 12^th appearance in the silks.

THIS WEEK

Six race meetings for the week ahead in Queensland with Redcliffe and Albion Park sharing the load with three fixtures each.

Tuesday at Albion Park will see an 11-race card with a night meeting scheduled for Friday.

Redcliffe will be back racing in their regular Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon slots before wrapping up the week with a Sunday night program.

All eyes however will be on 'The Creek' this Saturday night as the Constellations Carnival continues.

The feature race will be The Queensland Sun, with the winner to gain ballot exemption for The Rising Sun, with the depth of the Queensland-trained three and four-year-old ranks on full display with a cracking field to do battle.

The Wayne Wilson Paleface Adios Classic for two-year-old pacers will be decided and the Listed Wondai’s Mate will see the open class performers continue their carnival preparations, with Blacksadance the big winner, drawing gate one. 

The second-round heats of the Darrel Alexander Trotting Championship will also see the square gaiters chasing vital points in the quest to progress to the Group 1 Final.