Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - December 5

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

THE GOOD

Leap To Fame highlighted the opening night of the 2023 Inter Dominion as he started his series in emphatic fashion.

Working forward to find the front, 'Larry' not only put his rivals away to score comfortably, but his heat win was also the fastest of the four pacing heats and recorded the biggest winning margin.

It was a one-two finish for Queensland to start the night when Trent Dawson claimed his maiden Inter Dominion heat win from his very first attempt as a trainer and driver.

Sending Future Assured to the front soon after the start, the talented four-year-old was never in danger, pulling clear to stop the clock in 1.51.9 for the mile, with the win taking his earnings beyond $200,000 with his 14^th win at start 31.

The Mark Dux-trained and Mathew Neilson-driven Tommy Lincoln earned valuable points in finishing second, giving the Queensland trainers the one-two, with Kanena Provlima grabbing third for KerryAnn and Robbie Morris.

In the second pacers heat, it was a win for Victoria when Better Eclipse proved too strong and too classy for his opposition, moving forward to sit parked and then pull clear over the final stages.

It was another second placing for the locals with Angus Garrard steering Classie Washington into the money along the passing lane at his first drive in an Inters heat, with the early leader, Captain Shuffles holding on for third.

Swayzee stepped forward in the final pacers heat to show he will be a force, continuing his unbeaten run for Jason Grimson that includes wins in the Blacks A Fake and New Zealand Cup, claiming a simple victory.

Again, it was the locals picking up valuable points from placing behind the series second-favourite, Manila Playboy charging home from three back along the pegs to grab second for Shane Fraser and Angus Garrard, with Turn It Up finishing second for trainer and driver Shane Graham.

Arguably it was Leap To Fame that was the most impressive of the winners, the Grant Dixon-trained and driven millionaire hitting the line under wraps and with the plugs still in place.

It was also a successful night for Kevin and Kay Seymour, the leviathan owners claiming two of the four heat wins as the owners of Leap To Fame and as owner and breeders of Future Assured.

THE BAD

The trotting heats were conducted at the sprint trip and the main talking point was the defeat of short-price favourite and series second favourite, Queen Elida.

Finding the front relatively easily, the star mare was rolling along in front at a solid tempo and turning for home looked to have the race well and truly in her keeping.

However, fellow Victorian, Plymouth Chubb was able to find open space from three back the fence as the field turned for home and the former star juvenile exploded to the line to claim the only upset of the seven heats of either gait.

Queen Elida was still in front with 100 metres to go, but the speed with which Plymouth Chubb hit the line was something to behold.

Veteran trainer Peter Manning was thrilled with the performance of the four-year-old at his third run back from a spell, with Cam Hart driving the winner perfectly at his first sit behind the gelding.

The night started with a win to the Chris Lang and Sonia Mahar-trained Ollivici, the gelding finding the back of Mufasa Metro, which proved to be the winning move.

Lang bided his time and when the filed turned for home, angled Ollivici to the outside and had the closing speed to grab the favourite in the closing strides and record a narrow margin over the John Justice-trained and driven Mufasa Metro.

Constantinople for trainer Belinda McCarthy and driver Jack Callaghan put in some rough strides and paced but was able to return to a trot and hold on for third placing.

The final trotters heat went to the Jess Tubbs-trained and Greg Sugars-driven Just Believe, the defending champion never in danger once finding the front to continue his impressive record of never having missed a place in Australia under Tubbs care in 18 starts, which includes 11 victories.

Daren and Angus Garrard combined for another second placing, this time with the former Queensland Trotter of the Year, Sir Fahrenheit, with Angus darting across at the start to be first to the fence, before taking cover on the winner.

Funny Face for Jack Butler and Pete McMullen finished off strongly in the closing stages to grab third, giving Butler two third placings for the night after his other mare, Adelle finished in third behind Plymouth Chubb.

Cam Hart and Greg Sugars claimed driving honours across the seven heats, both picking up a heat win for each gait, with Jess Tubbs the only trainer to record a win in each division thanks to Better Eclipse and Just Believe.

Meanwhile, Angus Garrard was able to conclude his ID commitments with three second place finishes from three attempts.

THE WILDCARD

Trainer Michael Nutley went as close as one could get to recording a rare dead-heat with two of his runners last Monday at Redcliffe.

Preparing Vermont and The Casual Goose, who were both contesting the last race on the card, the pair were able to give Nutley a one-two finish.

The deciding margin was the barest possible margin that can be declared, just a short half-head separating the pair.

It would have been an even rarer feat if the judge had not been able to find a margin, with Darryl Nutley the breeder and owner of both pacers.

The Casual Goose was driven by Leonard Cain, and they were able to gain the verdict over Vermont with Brendan Barnes taking the reins, with The Casual Goose taking his record to 15 career victories.

Vermont, the winner of 16 races to date in her career, had secured the cart into the race on the back of her stable mate but had to settle for second.

It proved to be a good week for the Nutley’s with Call Me Trish, the year older half-sister of The Casual Goose, wining at Redcliffe on Thursday afternoon.

Brendan Barnes took the reins on Call Me Trish, giving Darryl and Michael Nutley a good week on 'The Triangle'.

THE MILESTONE

The first running of the Inter Regional Championship saw victory go to the Peter Greig-trained and Nathan Dawson-driven Not The Kingswood at Marburg on Sunday afternoon.

A new race series programmed to coincide with the Inter Dominion, heats will be held for Western, Southern and Northern-trained horses, with those progressing to the $30,000 Final which will be held on ID23 Final night.

For Peter Greig, his big season continued by claiming the inaugural heat for the Western-based trainers, as he closes in on a maiden century season.

Not The Kingswood is a Mr Feelgood five-year-old that was bred and is part-owned by Greig’s partner Patrice Madden, the gelding overcoming the outside front-line gate to register the win.

Sent forward by Nathan Dawson, Not The Kingswood was able to find the front and prove too strong over the concluding stages to take his career record to eight wins, three of those coming this season.

For Dawson, he took his huge season closer to 400 wins, the win moving him to 393 for the term, moving into second place for most winners in a season, with Chris Alford the only driver to have ever recorded more wins in an Australian season.

Not The Kingswood now progresses to the Final, with further heats to be held at Albion Park on Tuesday for the Southern-based trainers and at Redcliffe on Wednesday for those from the Northern region.

As for Greig, he needs just five more victories to register 100 wins for the term with 22 race meetings remaining for the year.

THIS WEEK

The Inter Dominion rolls on this week with round two heats on Tuesday night and round three on Saturday, when the Finalists will be decided.

In the pacers division, all first round winners have drawn second line barriers for round two, making it a tougher ask to remain undefeated.

In the Trotters, defending champion Just Believe who was an easy winner of his heat, has come up with the inside second line which makes his task just a little more awkward.

Friday at Albion Park will be a day meeting with a metropolitan program set down.

That means Redcliffe will be busy on Wednesday and Thursday with ten race cards at each meeting.

Marburg will finish the week with a meeting on Sunday.

Not As Promised will chase another piece of history when the Graham Dwyer trained trotter tackles the New Zealand Trotters Derby at Addington on Sunday afternoon.