Dashman's harness examination - March 17

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

WIN FOR WIN IN THE RACE TO 50

The driver’s premiership in Queensland has been dominated by Pete McMullen and Nathan Dawson in recent seasons and the 2025 battle looks set to be no different.

The race to 50 wins for the season was going win for win, neither ready to give an inch.

That was evident across the weekend when the pair secured a driving treble on Saturday night, which had followed both claiming a double the previous night at Albion Park.

McMullen was first on the board in the second race on Saturday when claiming a dominant victory aboard Dele Row, stopping the clock in a sizzling 1.50.7 mile.

Just one race later and the only two mares in the market were the McMullen-partnered Rylee Rhayne Bow and the Dawson-driven Chynchilla.

The market expectation was correct, with McMullen sending four-year-old mare Rylee Rhayne Bow to the front and taking victory over Chynchilla who was resuming from a spell.

Dawson did not have a drive in the open pace and McMullen was able to secure his third win of the night when producing Wisper A Secret over the closing stages to score a stylish victory.

With three races left on the card and McMullen taking a two-win lead in the state premiership, Dawson fired back and won all three remaining races to regain the lead.

Joans Rising Star was able to lead throughout in the seventh race for trainer Ben Battle and one race later the combination made it a double when Ohana Dancer scored.

Dawson completed the winning treble courtesy of star trotter Not As Promised who claimed an emphatic victory.

With the lead at one win, the battle will resume on Tuesday at 'The Creek', with neither driver taking any bookings at Redcliffe on Monday night.

BETTING LINE BOOKEND

With three months of the season yet to be completed, the Graham Dwyer stable is continuing a strong start to the year. 

The stable claimed a metropolitan double on Saturday night at Albion Park.

That took the 'Kingslodge team' to 12 wins, just two wins shy of their 2024 season tally at the ‘metro’ level.

Luvbite and Not As Promised are two horses that have been instrumental in adding to that total.

Pacer Luvbite and five-year-old trotter Not As Promised bookended the meeting on Saturday night. 

Luvbite claimed his third Saturday night win of the season and Not As Promised his fifth.

Both horses are sired by Betting Line and following their efforts to date in 2025, it is no surprise to see them as the best performed progeny of the stallion this season.

Both feature in his top 10 all-time list.

Layne Dwyer took the reins aboard Luvbite, sending the gelding forward from the outside second line gate to find the front within 500 metres of the start.

Once in control, the pair were never in danger, holding on to claim victory over race favourite Momentum Swing.

Not As Promised continued on his winning ways after overcoming a 20-metre handicap to take his career record to an impressive 15 from 24.

A total of 11 of those victories have been at Albion Park from just 13 appearances.

Connections of the former Australian three-year-old trotter of the year are trying to secure a last-ditch invite to contest the New Zealand TAB Trot slot race in April.

STYLISH END TO THE WEEK FOR BATTLE

The Ben Battle stable ended the week in good form.

They claimed a metro double on Saturday following on from the impressive debut of Megs Boy on Friday night.

Stepping out in the last race of the night on Friday, four-year-old gelding Megs Boy started a long odds-on favourite after impressing at the trials on both sides of the Tasman.

Purchased by client Sonny Grebe, who has had good success with the Battle stable, Megs Boy was forced to work in the run when parked.

However, the trial form and market expectation were warranted.

Nathan Dawson was never concerned at any stage as he guided the gelding to an impressive debut victory.

Dawson was also the man to deliver the double on Saturday, partnering with Joans Rising Star and Ohana Dancer.

Both mares had little trouble in claiming victory.

Joans Rising Star was sent straight to the front by Dawson and controlled the tempo.

The mare stopped the clock in a new personal best 1.54.5 mile.

Just one race later and Ohana Dancer proved too strong from gate six.

Ohana Dancer sat parked for the last 1,000 metres and claimed her first Queensland victory and sixth of her career.

THIS WEEK

Redcliffe will start the week with a Monday night meeting, followed by the regular Wednesday night and Friday afternoon fixtures.

Wednesday night will showcase the lady drivers as they step out in the Team Teal Cup.

Taleah McMullen has fared well from the barrier draw, partnering with last-start winner Miss Syrah from gate one for trainer Aileen Smith.

A Team Teal ambassador in 2025, McMullen won the race last year aboard the Doug Hewitt-trained Infinity Beach and will be hoping to make it successive victories.

Albion Park will host seven races on Tuesday afternoon and then second round heats of the Jim McNeil series will be held on Friday night before the week concludes with the Saturday metropolitan fixture.

Doug and Gemma Hewitt will truck south to Bathurst this week to contest heats of the Gold Crown and Gold Tiara series, with Rock Your Socks, Iam Hugo and Kash Fund tackling the respective heats.