Dashman's harness look ahead - February 7

Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.

Leap To Fame may have been beaten in last week’s Hunter Cup but it was a mammoth performance.

The Grant Dixon-trained star will be out for redemption in this week’s Cranbourne Cup.

The defending champion of the provincial feature, Leap To Fame follows the same campaign trail as 2024, contesting the Cranbourne Cup, into the Newcastle Mile and on to the Miracle Mile.

Albion Park will host eight race cards on both Friday and Saturday nights, with some competitive racing on the schedule.

Saturday's free for all races for the pacers, mares and trotters are all intriguing contests.

GET ON

Hiranya.

Set to contest race seven on Saturday, the Gemma Hewitt-trained and Brendan Barnes-driven gelding will appreciate returning to his own grade.

At his past five starts, Hiranya has tackled open company on three occasions where he finished fifth each time.

WISPER READY TO ROAR

There may be a small field of just five acceptors in this week’s open pace, but four of those runners are Group 1 winners, including the reigning The Rising Sun champion Wisper A Secret.

Returning to start his five-year-old term, the Chantal Turpin-trained gelding has some bigger targets on the horizon which include a trip south in search of a Miracle Mile berth.

Off the back of two smart trials, Wisper A Secret faces a potentially awkward barrier in the small field over the 2138 metre journey.

Dual Group 1-winner Captain Shuffles looks the horse to beat after landing gate one, with the Ben Crosby-trained pacer racing in great form this campaign.

With successive wins at the mile, Captain Shuffles completed a hat-trick of victories with an all the way performance form gate three over the same middle trip that the field will face this week.

Last start, the classy six-year-old was slammed with gate seven and although he was unable to match it with the winner Leap To Fame, he did beat home the third-placed Northview Hustler by 15 metres when finishing in second place.

Tims A Trooper can look to dart straight down to the markers from gate two for an economical trip, with Northview Hustler likely to follow that move.

With every likelihood that the field may end up in single file formation, the task for Manila Playboy from gate five looks tough, although he was impressive last week when resuming from a spell with a strong second behind For Real Life.

NO PROMISES THIS WEEK

Star trotter Not As Promised has won eight races from nine attempts at Albion Park.

But, as good as his performances have been, the classy gelding will need to lift to another level if he is to claim victory in this weekends’ open trot.

Not As Promised will line up from the outside of the front line this week with some experienced free for all performers drawn to his inside.

Track record holder, Is That A Bid, was taken to Menangle for his last start a fortnight ago where his run was solid in finishing just a half-neck from the winner.

Top Of The Moment was attacking the line strongly last start when placed and the Chantal Turpin-trained gelding has good speed out of the machine which will allow Pete McMullen to find a forward spot.

Love Gun has won and finished second in two starts for the Grant Dixon stable.

Love Gun's second placing came when working hard in the run in a race won by Funny Face.

Trained by comeback trainer John Livingstone, Funny Face will be the lone second line runner and will follow out the Shane Graham-trained and reined Gee Cee Calder who was runner-up to Not As Promised last week.

A DAY TO REMEMBER

A veteran of 219 race starts, Our Major Day lines up from gate one in the opening race on Saturday night. 

While he may be a veteran, the gelding enters some unfamiliar areas for this week, with his last start from the inside gate coming back in March of 2021.

With 106 race starts since last wearing the red saddlecloth, the Dayl March-trained pacer has still been able to win 10 races and place on a further 23 occasions, including placings at his past four in succession.

Beaten under two metres at his past three in succession, Nathan Dawson will take the reins this week in attempting to make the most of the inside gate.

Bronski Zulu looks a main threat despite landing the outside second line for trainer Donny Smith, with plenty of merit surrounding his recent performances.

Luvbite made the most of the map last week to claim a qualifying victory after sitting on the back of the lead and sprinting hard when let loose at the top of the stretch to reel in the leader.

Another that will face a tough gate but was an eye catcher last start is Cheer Leader, the mare rattling hard in the closing stages last start behind The Mighty Sully.