Dashman's harness examination - April 7

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

TOMMY’S TRIPLE TREAT

A move to the Sunshine State is starting to pay dividends for Tom Callaghan who claimed driving honours at Albion Park on Saturday night.

Moving to third on the Queensland concession driver’s premiership, Callaghan is receiving some good opportunities and more importantly, is converting them.

Having landed his first metropolitan win when partnering Thesunandthemoon earlier this season, on Saturday night at The Creek, Callaghan bagged his first winning treble.

Opening the night with an all the way win aboard Stormtide, the Donny Smith trained gelding was never in danger as Callaghan was able to dictate a controlled first quarter of 60.7 seconds, before putting the race beyond the reach of the chasers with a 55.4 closing half.

It was the first time that Callaghan had partnered Stormtide as the eight-year-old recorded his first win of 2025 and 14^th Albion Park success.

One race later and partnering another runner for the first time, it was a carbon copy driver of the opening race with Dele Row leading throughout to claim the Jack and Kay Waltisbuhl memorial.

Securing a slow lead time of 38.8 seconds for the 2138 metre trip and following that with a steady 59.6 opening half, Dele Row was able to rip home in 53.4, highlighted with a 26.3 close out to score an effortless victory.

The Chantal Turpin trained four-year-old has now won five of six starts this season as he marches towards some of the better races during the Constellations Carnival.

The treble was completed with another win for ‘the boss’ delivering a tactically smart steer aboard the Turpin trained Shackouttheback, which was the mare’s third successive victory with Callaghan in the bike.

MATTY WITH SOME MAGIC

“That’s three in a row for Matty Elkins, one, two three, easy as A, B, C” was the call from broadcaster Chris Barsby as Vincent Time crossed the line for victory in the third race at The Creek on Friday night.

The third leg in a driving treble after just three races, it also provided Elkins with his first treble as a trainer as he homes in his first 100 wins as a trainer to complement his 800 plus driving victories.

Congo Line got the ball rolling with victory in the opening race of the night when the gelding charged home in the closing stages to record a half-neck winning margin and record his tenth victory at Albion Park.

One race later and Sweet Options continued her consistency since joining the Elkins stable, with an all the way victory in a new career best of 1.56.6, having won twice and placed twice in five appearances.

Vincent Time completed the treble with a calculated drive from Elkins, sent forward at the 1200 to take control and fight them off late.

It proved to be good week for the Elkins stable, his previous runner to Friday night was a win with Royal Speech in the last race on Tuesday evening, with a total of four wins from 10 starters, along with two second placings.

Elkins was quick to divert the praise to wife Narissa following the success, outlining the pivotal role in the race day preparations that she has taken on now that she is on the driving sidelines while pregnant with the couple’s first child.

SHANNON 1000

Six-time Group 1 wining trainer Shannon Price secured another milestone in her career when completing a winning double at Redcliffe last Thursday.

With 999 winners to her name heading to the Peninsula for Thursday’s card, punters predicted it would be Imextraspecial that would be winner 1000, sending the three-year-old to the post a long odds-on favourite.

With a third-place finish, Price did not have to wait long for the moment to arrive as Always Promise Me was successful just one race later to bring up the milestone, capping the moment with a race-to-race double with Hold Onto Ya Bling scoring victory just one race later.

Enjoying success in the past three seasons with a handy one-two punch of Speak The Truth and Sure Thing Captain, Price has put the polish on a raft of talented horses throughout her career.

That list includes Caesars Folly, Bettorthanspecial, Terror Time, All Promises, American Legend and Bettor Promise, the dam of Always Promise Me which was win 1000.

CONSTELLATIONS CONTENDERS

Leap To Fame showed why he is the best horse in Australia when he scored a mammoth victory in The Race at Cambridge, sitting three-wide for almost one lap, before parking out the final lap and pulling clear for the greatest win of his career.

Larry will now head home to prepare for the Inter Dominion where he will be a raging favourite on his home deck.

Arcee Phoenix was victorious in the Trot event at Cambridge and like Leap To Fame, will now turn his sights to the Inter Dominion, which looks wide open for the trotters this year.

At Albion Park, Dele Row continued his march through the grades with another impressive victory, highlighted by a sizzling 53.4 front end romp in the Jack and Kay Waltisbuhl memorial, the same race Wisper A Secret was successful in last season on his way to Rising Sun glory.

The Emma Stewart stable dominated Melton on Friday for the Nutrien Classic heats, with several runners likely to join her Constellations team.

Cigano and The Highlight Reel are potentials for The Queensland Derby, Beach Diamond for the Oaks and Cardigan Dan pressed his claim for a Protostar slot with an impressive 1.54.8 mile on debut.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Seven straight days of racing are on the calendar this week in Queensland with Redcliffe starting the week with a Monday night meeting, adding to their regular Wednesday and Thursday fixtures.

Albion Park follows with a Tuesday afternoon meeting, followed by a day meeting on Friday and then the Saturday metropolitan meeting.

Marburg wraps the week when heats of the Goldstrike Series are held this Sunday, with the qualifiers progressing to the Easter Sunday $35,000 Final.