Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - October 3

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

THE GOOD

First held in 2019, the Springboard Series for juvenile trotters was strategically developed to enhance the trotting gait in the Sunshine State - a goal that has proven successful.

Indefensible was the inaugural winner of the Springboard Series and last Tuesday the Finals for the two-year-old and three-year-old trotters were held at Albion Park, with Somerset Farms partnering with Racing Queensland as the naming rights sponsor for the first time.

After finishing third in the QBRED Trotting Final back in August, the Melissa Gillies-trained Gait With Grace had her faultless manners on display to lead throughout and claim an easy victory.

Narissa McMullen has driven the filly in all but one of her five career starts and after a safe beginning she was able to control the tempo, setting a steady 44.6 second lead time, before taking the field through the opening half in 66.2 seconds. 

With the field racing in single file through the first 1300 metres of the race, McMullen was able to dictate the speed and only needed to run the closing splits in 29.7 and 29.1 seconds to score a 5.5 metre victory.

Justabitlikesully for trainer and driver Doug Lee finished in second place, while Gillies' other runner and race favourite, Northern Heights, finished third after making an error soon after the start.

The win took the record of Gait With Grace to four wins from her five career starts and gave owner and breeder Kathryn McLachlan first and third in the race, as she also owns and bred Northern Heights.

McLachlan has now won both age divisions of the Springboard, claiming the 2021 three-year-old series with Ignite, while for Gillies, she was able to go one better than her second placing with Oonskade in the two-year-old Final of the same year.

In the three-year-old Final, the Graham Dwyer-trained and Nathan Dawson-driven Not As Promised displayed his class with an effortless victory over the Shane Graham-trained and driven En Masse, with Getoverrover for trainer and driver Tim Gillespie finishing third.

Not As Promised has now won all four starts since joining the Dwyer stable, taking his career record to five wins from 10 starts.

Stepping away safely from the tapes, Dawson allowed the gelding time to balance, before pressing forward to take control with 1700 metres to travel.

Shane Graham went forward to have a brief challenge with En Masse and with the speed increasing, created the space to then drop in for the trail.

The field remained in that order throughout the remainder of the race, with Not As Promised pulling clear for an easy victory, running the closing quarter in 28.2 seconds.

For Dwyer, he was able to go one better than the second placing recorded with Confiscated in the 2022 three-year-old edition.

THE BAD

Storm activity and lightning was responsible for the completion of just three races at Redcliffe last Thursday, with the danger to participants and animals resulting in the meeting being abandoned following the running of race three.

It may have been a disappointing situation for those with runners later in the day but for Peter Greig it proved a successful trip to the Peninsula after winning the opening race with Heza Bling.

While concentrating mainly on training his team more recently, Greig, who has over 2000 driving wins in his career, was successful for just the second time in the sulky this season.

Settling in the one-by-one trail with Heza Bling as Always Idle set the pace, there were no moves in the race until Greigh eased wider with 250 metres to travel.

Moving up confidently, Greigh was able to sit quietly and pull clear to claim the maiden-breaking victory aboard the four-year-old, with the win also securing the $14,000 first win bonus.

Heza Bling has been a work in progress and did not have his first race start until late into his three-year-old career.

Breaking maiden ranks with the victory after 16 attempts, Greig has been patient with the gelding and is one of his more ‘regular’ drives, having partnered the son of Bling It On in all bar two of his starts.

Greig picked up another training winner at Marburg on Monday with Miki Magic to take his season tally to 75 wins and with three months of the season remaining, he looks set to chase down a new benchmark for most wins.

Recording a career-high 78 winners in the 2022 season and 77 in 2021, Greig, along with partner Patrice Madden, are on track to possibly give the triple figures a good nudge.

THE WILDCARD

It was a good night out at Redcliffe last Wednesday for the Dan Russell stable, bringing home three winners and a second placing from five starters.

The night started with success when Gabbys Ideal was able to overcome a second line draw, finishing strongly to claim her 10th career victory.

Settled in the running line with Jordan Topping taking the reins, Gabbys Ideal was angled wider with 300 metres to travel and finished best to claim a smart win.

Forming a winning association with the Nathan Hurst stable from Bathurst, Gabbys Ideal was formerly prepared by Hurst, as was Russell’s second winner Tulhurst Cuddles.

Sent forward from gate five in the early stages, Topping was content to sit parked with the five-year-old mare and through a 58.1 second closing half was able to get the better of the leader Ultimate Chance and claim victory by a neck margin.

The third leg of the winning treble came with another mare when Malibu Dream was able to lead throughout from gate one. 

The daughter of Mr Feelgood is owned by Russell and Topping and it was the second win for the pair since purchasing the seven-year-old earlier this year.

The all the way victory provided Topping with her first winning treble, while it also moved her to 28 wins, the same number of victories recorded in her benchmark season of 2022.

On Monday at Marburg, Topping was able to land a winner with Glenledi Commander, moving her to 29 victories, and with three months remaining of the season, is on track to extend her tally toward 50 for the term.

THE MILESTONE

Grant Dixon landed another century of driving winners in his illustrious career, bringing up the 100 with Firebolt at Albion Park last Tuesday.

After reaching the monumental milestone of 5,000 career driving wins and 3,000 training wins last season, the wins have continued to pile up in 2023.

For Dixon the week ended how it started, winning aboard a two-year-old for his biggest owners, Kevin and Kay Seymour.

Firebolt was responsible for providing Dixon with his 100^th driving success for the season, the filly claiming her first career victory and the QBRED $14,000 first win bonus with the all the way success.

The win was a unique achievement, not only for the 100^th victory, but the fact that Dixon also trained the sire and dam of Firebolt for the Seymours.

By the Sunshine Sprint winner Ohoka Punter, Dixon drove the stallion to victory once in his career, while he trained Fire One - the dam of Firebolt - and drove the mare to victory on four occasions.

As he did to start the week, it was victory with a two-year-old to end the week and take his driving tally to 102 wins for the season when Iron Clad was successful in the last race on Saturday night.

A $40,000 purchase from the 2022 Sydney APG sale, Dixon sent the colt straight to the front from barrier four and once in control was never in danger to claim an effortless victory.

Running the last quarter in 27.5 seconds to stop the clock in a 1.55.5 rate, the son of Art Major extended to post a winning margin of 17 metres, with the victory giving Art Major his 100^th siring victory this season in Queensland.

In reaching 100 season wins, Dixon has now reached triple figures in every year this century, with his 2009-10 season the pinnacle when driving 242 winners.

THIS WEEK

This week signals the start of the final quarter of the season, with three months remaining.

There will be six race meetings for the week in Queensland, the week starting with a fixture from Marburg on Monday.

Albion Park will host a 10 race card on Tuesday, a day meeting on Friday followed by the Saturday night metropolitan fixture.

Leap To Fame could be a starter on Saturday night as connections decide if the star pacer will press on to a Victoria Cup campaign.

Redcliffe will host two meetings for the week, with 10 races on Wednesday night, followed up with an eight race card on Thursday afternoon.

With the speed at which Nathan Dawson is chalking up the winners, it looks likely that he will surpass the Queensland season record for most driving wins, currently held by Pete McMullen at 315.

Dawson will start Tuesday’s meeting sitting on 312.

He quickly moved to 313 as he drove a winner in the second race of the program.