Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - October 23

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

THE GOOD

It was a successful night at the office for trainer Chantal Turpin, training five winners at 'The Creek' on Saturday night.

In claiming half the winners on the ten-race card, it was the first time that Turpin has prepared a quintet of victories at the one meeting.

The night started with success when husband Pete McMullen claimed victory with the race favourite Alta Revelry, the four-year-old finishing strongly from a second line gate to take the spoils.

It was the fifth win this season for the talented gelding which contested some of the bigger races throughout the Constellations Carnival, including the Group 1 The Rising Sun.

One race later and it was 'Leader Peter' at his best with Awaywego, another talented four-year-old that was marginally below the better horses of his age throughout the Constellations.

Making full use of barrier one, McMullen had the field chasing all the way, with an opening half of 57.1 seconds, followed with a back straight quarter in 27.9 seconds. 

With plenty in reserve, Awaywego cruised home to claim an easy victory, the overall rate of 1.53.7 more than one second outside his best this season of 1.52.5.

With a strong hold on the three-year-old race, four of the eight runners were prepared by Turpin, and it was the race favourite Always Smokin that was able to lead throughout.

Narissa McMullen picked up the drive, having partnered with the Always B Miki gelding at his previous start, scoring effortlessly on that occasion, also.

With three winners in the bag and two races remaining, the chance of a quartet looked promising as Blacksadance stepped out in the ninth race of the night as the $1.55 favourite.

The track record holder secured his 26^th Albion Park victory, leading throughout in a 1.52 mile rate, with closing quarters of 27.5 seconds and 27.6 seconds to hold off Deus Ex, the win a timely boost with the Inter Dominion rankings due to be updated.

Heading into the last race, the night started how it finished, with the Turpin and McMullen combination partnering with eight-year-old gelding Tairlaw Toll.

Also owned by Chantal, Tairlaw Toll has proven to be a good money-spinner since crossing the Tasman earlier in the season, his latest victory the sixth at 'The Creek' since arriving.

Completing the quintet, Turpin is the first trainer this season in Queensland to record five winners on the same card, with almost two years passing since the last occurrence, the feat last achieved by Vicki Rasmussen in December of 2021.

THE BAD

Nathan Dawson and Shane Graham represented Queensland on Saturday night at the Australian Drivers Championship held at Launceston.

However, wet weather and lightning across the Northern Coast of Tasmania, saw the race meeting abandoned after just four of the eight races were completed.

Gary Hall Jnr claimed maximum points in the opening heat, claiming victory aboard the Ben Yole-trained Outlaw Joe, with Nathan Dawson in fifth position aboard Fury Dan and Shane Graham in ninth on The Democrat.

Heat two went to Victoria’s Ellen Tormey with Graham grabbing valuable points with a third on Juniper, while Dawson was one spot further back in fourth on Mach Angelo.

Heat three saw Dawson make full use of barrier one aboard the Chris Howlett-trained Galaxy Dancer, leading them up over the 2200 metre trip and holding on for a three-metre victory over Magic Joe for New South Welshman Josh Gallagher.

Local Mitch Ford was in a strong position heading into the fourth heat, partnering with the $1.22 favourite De Goey, with the short quote justified with the three-year-old.

Dawson had the drive on Kerala Star for Steve Lukac and from gate six, was left wide through the opening 600 metres, finally pressing on to find the front.

In front swinging for home, Dawson tried to pinch a break and despite the brave performance, Kerala Star was grabbed late by the favourite to finish in second place.

With lightning and thunderstorms descending as the field paraded for race five, stewards ordered runners back to the stabling enclosure and 30 minutes later decided to abandon the meeting.

It may have been an unfortunate set of circumstances, however it was decided with 50 per cent of the races completed that a winner would be declared.

That saw Dawson claim the 2023 Australian Drivers Championship.

The title is a great achievement and will complement the National Drivers Premiership which looks a mere formality, holding a 113-win lead over Gary Hall Jnr.

First held in 2014, Dawson becomes the third Queenslander to claim the Australian Drivers Championship, with Pete McMullen claiming the inaugural Series at Globe Derby and Grant Dixon winning in 2015 at Launceston.

THE WILDCARD

While race driving plays a back-seat to media commitments with Sky Channel, Brittany Graham managed to claim a hat-trick of driving victories on Saturday night at 'The Creek'.

Swapping the microphone for the silks after the first three races on Saturday night, Graham jumped in the sulky aboard Majestic Harry as the square gaiter made his first appearance back from a spell.

Settling one out and two back in the running line after starting from barrier nine over the mobile 2138 metre trip, Majestic Harry was angled three wide with 450 metres to travel as Gus was attempting to fend off the challengers.

Approaching the home turn, Gus jumped it off and his chances evaporated, with Majestic Lavros looming and Majestic Harry chiming in strongly as the widest runner.

As the field straightened, it was Majestic Harry that did best, with Graham driving the gelding out to the wire to claim victory over My Ultimate Eddie with Sir Fahrenheit flashing late for third.

For Brittany, it was a hat-trick of driving victories, across three meetings, claiming a win aboard Tiz A Sizzler on October 7.

Claiming a Redcliffe victory with Andoverlov on October 10 at her next race drive, the win of Majestic Harry made it three on the bounce and her eighth driving win of the season.

The streak came to an end in the last race of the night with Tiz A Sizzler finishing second behind Tairlaw Toll after the task of chasing from a 30-metre handicap proved a hurdle too high.

For Majestic Harry, the win will help fortify his ranking for the upcoming Inter Dominion, after making the 2022 Final at Melton for Graham and sister Stephanie, who trained the gelding through that series.

THE MILESTONE

Trent Lethaby and partner Taleah McMullen took a small team to New South Wales last week, turning out four runners.

Lydias Art, a three-year-old gelding finished fourth, six metres from the winner in slick time at Penrith on Thursday night after facing a second line gate.

On Saturday night at Menangle, the pair presented three runners, Red Right Hand, Scruffy Doolan and Red Castleton.

Red Right Hand finished sixth in the opening race of the night, hitting the line strongly to be under five metres from the winner Firestorm Red.

Red Castleton, who was a winner at Menangle in December 2021 of the Trotters Inter Dominion Consolation, was driven by David Morris for Lethaby, while Taleah took the reins behind Scruffy Doolan, a trotter which she trains.

Faced with the 20-metre back mark handicap, Red Castleton looked set to face a tough task in the 2300 metre event, while Scruffy Doolan started from the front tape.

Stepping cleanly before taking cover, McMullen soon had Scruffy Doolan positioned three back as the field raced in single file for the next 1400 metres.

Staying in when the runs started to come from the back, Scruffy Doolan was relying on some luck and some gaps and fortunately both arrived, the runner behind the leader breaking stride and opening a saloon passage through the inside.

Scruffy Doolan responded, sprinting hard along the inside to arrive in the last strides.

The win provided Taleah with her first training victory at Menangle and was made even sweeter by the fact that she also owns the seven-year-old.

The win was the second since taking over training the gelding, while it was the first win since purchasing the square gaiter from previous owner Aaron Bain Racing.

THIS WEEK

Six race meetings are set down for decision in Queensland this week, three each from Redcliffe and Albion Park.

Albion Park will host nine races on Tuesday to start the week, before a Friday afternoon meeting and a Saturday night fixture.

Redcliffe will host meetings on Wednesday and Sunday nights, while Thursday will be the traditional afternoon slot.

Queensland trainers will be represented in the week ahead in interstate features with Iron Clad landing gate 12 in the New South Wales two-year-old Breeders Challenge Final to be held on Sunday at Menangle.

In the three-year-old Fillies Final, the Darren McCall-trained Miss Froufrou is the second emergency while the Queensland-owned Sky Blu has drawn gate 10.

Also, on Sunday, the Graham Dwyer-trained Not As Promised will contest the Victorian Trotters Derby at Maryborough after qualifying through to the Final with a fourth placing in his heat.