Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - July 24

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

THE GOOD

The meteoric rise of Swayzee continued on Saturday night when Cameron Hart and Jason Grimson combined to claim their second successive Blacks A Fake Championship.

Bullish about their chances earlier in the week when drawing gate two with Swayzee, Hart was able to drive the five-year-old to the front within 300 metres and from there was never headed.

Dubbed as the ‘Battle of the brothers’, Grant Dixon made an early move and within 600 metres had the four-year-old half-brother of Swayzee - Leap To Fame - around the field to lead the one wide line.

Sitting back from the leader through a 77.8 second lead time, Hart kept the speed solid, turning the 2680 metre race into a true staying contest.

With opening quarters of 28.7 and 28.5 seconds, nothing from back in the pack was able to get moving as Dixon allowed Leap To Fame to slide closer to the leader through a 27.3 second third quarter.

Between turns, Leap To Fame was continuing to eat into the deficit as Hot And Treacherous eased off the inside to try to make his run.

In the process, Hot And Treacherous struck the near side wheel of Grant Dixon’s sulky, flattening the tyre and with just under 200 metres to travel, the tube had wrapped itself around the sulky stay, causing a huge disadvantage to the Queensland star.

Meanwhile, Swayzee continued his high tempo run and through a closing quarter of 27.5 seconds, was able to score victory with 6.4 metres to spare over his gallant half-brother Leap To Fame, Hot And Treacherous holding on for third for trainer Jack Butler and driver Nathan Dawson.

The winning mile rate of 1.54.0 was the second quickest in the history of the race, 0.3 seconds behind Colt Thirty One’s track record of 1.53.7 set when winning the 2019 edition.

Undefeated since joining the Jason Grimson stable, Swayzee has banked $286,000 in stake earnings from six successive victories.

Leap To Fame will now have a few quiet days in the paddock before being prepared for the TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.

Earlier in the night, Cantfindabettorman made perfect use of gate one in the Four Year Old Championship to give Belinda McCarthy two training winners on the night.

McCarthy shared the training honours on the night with fellow New South Welshman Brad Hewitt who was also able to claim a training double, including Group 1 success.

The man they call 'Hollywood' was at his best with Majestic Trio, finding open space at the top of the stretch and swooping hard down the outside was able to run past the Jarrod Alchin-trained Doff Your Cap to claim the Group 1 Queensland Trotters Cup.

Owned by a group that includes close family and friends, Majestic Trio has now won 11 races for Hewitt since crossing the Tasman to join his Goulburn stables.

Hewitt completed the double later in the evening when claiming the Queensland Oaks Consolation with Shez The Reason, a filly that was bred and is raced by several of the same interests involved in Majestic Trio.

THE BAD

The 2022 Queensland Oaks winner Soho Historia was beaten as a long odds-on favourite on Saturday night at Albion Park, denying trainer Emma Stewart any opportunity of replicating her training treble from the previous week.

While the chance of three winners went astray, claiming one of the main Group 1 feature events of the night and the manner of the victory indicated that the master trainer has another serious horse in her stable.

A comfortable victory in his first Albion Park appearance to prepare for the Queensland Derby ensured The Lost Storm started at the prohibitive quote of $1.09 to claim the Blue Riband feature.

After landing gate six, driver Mark Pitt was not wasting any time in searching for position and within 400 metres had the short price favourite in front and perfectly settled.

After an opening half of 59.6 seconds, the 11 horses trying to gain ground off The Lost Storm were unable to match the Emma Stewart-trained superstar, as Pitt let the colt slide down the back straight in a 27.1 second quarter.

Turning for home, he was in no danger and put his rivals to the sword with a matching 27.1 second close out, the 54.2 second last half stopping the clock in a mile rate of 1.55.2.

Despite so many feature race victories, The Lost Storm was Stewart’s first ever Queensland Derby starter, and the victory by the son of Captaintreacherous is the third quickest in the history of the race behind Self Assured (1.54.2) and Leap To Fame (1.54.9).

Already a confirmed slot holder for the Eureka, the $2.1m feature will now feature the past two Queensland Derby victors, with The Lost Storm set to take on Leap To Fame.

The win also provided Emma Stewart with her 3000^th winner as a trainer and on the night, she also passed 150 wins for the season, for the ninth successive season.

THE WILDCARD

Horse siblings proved to be the topic of the week and on Tuesday at Albion Park owner-breeder Kathryn McLachlan was able to secure a unique winning double.

With a fondness for the trotting gait, a pair of full siblings owned and bred by McLachlan were able to claim victory in the first two races on the card.

Two-year-old trotter Gait With Grace was making her race debut for trainer Melissa Gillies and having shown excellent manners throughout her education and trial preparation, the filly was able to make a winning start to her career.

One race later and Dextrous Dexter claimed the second win of his career with Adam Richardson taking the drive for wife Alannah, providing broodmare Norah Jones with the winning double.

Both trotters are by My High Expectations, a talented trotter that started his career in Queensland before going onto Group success for trainer David Aiken.

Purchased from New Zealand in 2009 as a one win performer, Norah Jones arrived in Queensland with Denis Smith, the next-door neighbour and sister-in-law of McLachlan and would win another four races.

At stud, Norah Jones has produced four foals, of which three have raced and all three are now winners for McLachlan.

The win by Gait With Grace secured the QBRED first win bonus and is the second two-year-old winner this season for the McLachlan and Gillies combination, following the two highly impressive wins by Northern Heights back in May.

THE MILESTONE

Torque Like Motion became the first locally-trained filly to secure victory in the Queensland Oaks since Forever Gold claimed the 2011 edition.

In claiming the passing lane victory, Torque Like Motion became the fifth Queensland trained filly to claim the feature since the turn of the century and provided the father-son combination of Wayne and Shane Graham their second victory, 21 years since achieving the feat with Sparkling Melody.

In what looked an open edition of the fillies Classic, Shane Graham angled Torque Like Motion to the inside from her second line gate, hoping for some luck in running.

With Madrigal holding the lead through the first 500 metres, second favourite Peaceful and Jack Callaghan were able to roll forward and take the lead with one mile left to travel.

That left race favourite Jewel Melody to sit parked for the last lap and a half while Torque In Motion was shuffled to four back along the inside.

Maintaining that formation approaching the 400 metre point, Jewel Melody could no more and started to yield ground and that allowed Madrigal to angle to the outside as they swung for home.

With 150 metres to travel, Callaghan was urging Peaceful as madrigal looked to loom up, allowing No Dramas from three back the inside, first use of the passing lane, with Graham angling his filly hard against the inside.

Torque Like Motion responded and charged hard along the inside to grab victory with Cheer Leader coming from the clouds also along the passing lane to grab second.

Peaceful held on for third with Madrigal just peaking over the closing stages to finish in fifth.

Owned and bred by Ian Corrazol, Torque Like Motion is a daughter of his former Group 1-winning mare Torque In Motion.

By claiming the Oaks, Torque Like Motion was able to go one better than her dam who finished as the runner-up in the Gold Coast, Queensland, and Redcliffe Oaks of 2010 on her way to a record of 19 victories and $380,000 in stakes.

THIS WEEK

The curtain came down another Constellations Carnival on Saturday night and while feature race success will go on ice until the QBRED night in August, the show rolls on here in Queensland.

Monday night at Redcliffe will see a 10 race card conducted to start seven consecutive race meetings in the Sunshine State.

The regular Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon fixtures from 'The Triangle' will be accompanied by three meetings from Albion Park.

A total of 10 races will be decided on Tuesday afternoon from 'The Creek', with the Friday meeting a night fixture followed by the Saturday metropolitan fixture.

Marburg will host a Sunday afternoon meeting to round out the week.