Dashman's harness examination - February 17

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

RONNIE HAS THEM ROCKING

With just his 12 horses in work and four of those racing at Albion Park on Saturday night, Ron Sallis landed a winning treble.

Narissa Elkins was in the drivers’ seat for all three wins, leading throughout with Bretts Red and taking the passing lane with both Miss Mucho and Allnight Dancer.

Bretts Red and Allnight Dancer are owned and were bred by Narelle McCarthy, with both five-year-olds by Lord Zin Zan.

Lord Zin Zan is a talented stallion that ran second in the 2016 Chariots Of Fire. 

Following a racing career that netted 18 wins, Lord Zin Zan produced just nine foals prior to his stud retirement.

Of those, four have raced and all four have won.

For Sallis, he was not overly enthused about taking on Allnight Dancer.

However, with the five-year old having now won three races, his thoughts and opinions of the mare have lifted.

The third leg of the winning treble came with Miss Mucho.

The veteran mare showed a great turn of speed to charge hard along the passing lane to victory.

Owned by Stacey Sallis, it was the mare’s sixth win since arriving in the barn and 15^th overall, with her career earnings now just one win shy of $200,000.

It was the second time that Sallis has prepared a metropolitan treble, the first coming back in April of 2016 with Bitcoin, Infatuation and The Darling.

'MOFF' RAISES THE BAT

Trent Moffat reached a milestone moment last Tuesday at 'The Creek'.

The win of Ysmir provided the 31-year-old Moffat with his 100^th training success.

With 533 driving wins to his name, Moffat has increased his team over the past two seasons, with that increase reflected in the on-track results.

The year of 2023 was a career high with 23 winners and last season Moffat was only one win shy of equalling that number.

With four wins and seven placings from just 39 starters in 2025, Moffat is on target to eclipse the 2023 season.

Ysmir is likely to feature prominently for the stable this year.

Owned by Shane McConnell, the mare has been a work in progress.

She has shown ability throughout her career which included a two-year-old victory at just her third start.

The latest victory was the fifth of her career, with the mare producing wins in each season she has now raced from two through five.

Ysmir is the foal from a 2018 Racing Queensland joint initiative with Haras Des Trotteurs, with McConnell securing Yankee Duchess in the giveaway ballot and sending the mare to Used To Me to produce Ysmir.

Shadys Cullect - with nine victories - leads Moffat's training figures by wins, with veteran trotter Natty Pagger the stables leading stake earner.

DONNY DOMINATING

Redcliffe-based trainer Donny Smith had a successful afternoon at his home track last Thursday, taking home a quartet of winners with all four driven by a different reinsman.

With five horses engaged at the meeting, the one to ‘miss out’ was Skygirl who went close but ultimately came up just short when finishing in second placing.

The regally-bred Boston Bronski was the first Smith winner, using the passing lane to overcome the inside second line gate for Matt Elkins.

A total of two races later and eight-year-old gelding Katacha Man claimed his 12th win for Smith as he closes in on $100,000 in stake earnings since arriving in Knight Street.

Katacha Man was driven by Will Rothwell as he became the sixth different driver to sit behind the gelding in victory for Smith.

Katacha Man charged home from back in the pack to score via the passing lane.

Then one race later and it was another passing lane victory for the 'Lime Green and Black S' colours of Smith.

This time Bettys Gold Class darted through for driver Adam Richardson to record the ninth win of her career.

A newcomer to the stable rounded out the quartet.

Gelding Vinsanity scored an impressive first-up victory with Angus Garrard taking the drive.

Vinsanity swept down the outside and pulled away to score by an expanding margin.

The Smith stable has some impressive firepower to call on, headlined by mare Chynchilla, who is not too far off a racetrack return following a spell.

ASHLEE NOW EQUAL

The record of most wins at Redcliffe was equalled last Wednesday when Ashlee Nitro claimed her 30^th win around' The Triangle', with Jack Chapple taking the reins for Stewart Dickson.

It was the first time that Chapple has sat behind the mare and he drove the nine-year-old perfectly.

He pulled clear over the closing stages. 

Remaining patient with the mare, it would be 26 starts before Ashlee Nitro was able to break maiden ranks in September of 2019.

That win was at Albion Park, where she would win her second race just two months later, before adding a Kilcoy win on December 30 of that year.

Since that Kilcoy victory in 2019, Redcliffe is the only track where Ashlee Nitro has been victorious, adding a further 30 wins to her name.

Those 30 wins have been recorded with seven different drivers.

Nathan Dawson leads the way with 18, Pete McMullen five, two apiece to Leonard Cain and Angus Garrard and once each for Shane Graham, Chapple and Mathew Neilson.

THIS WEEK

The Ultimate Driver Championship is the focus in Queensland this week with the 20-race series capturing the harness racing world’s attention.

Wednesday’s draft will be the first highlight, when all 10 slot holders converge on 'The Creek' to lock away the horses they want their driver to partner across the two-night series.

The Championship will take shape on Friday, before the finale on Saturday night, where the inaugural Ultimate Driver will be crowned, with the winning slot securing the $100,000 first prize.

Click here to learn more about the Ultimate Driver Championship.