Dashman's harness look ahead - April 4

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

Friday night lights will be shining in Cambridge, New Zealand tonight and Queensland’s leading pacer and trotter will both be competing in the respective slot events.

Not As Promised will be the first to grace the track in the TAB Trot, with the Graham Dwyer trained gelding the outsider of the field.

Leap To Fame will start from a wide gate in The Race by Betcha as he makes his first race appearance in the Shaky Isles.

Closer to home, there will be a seven-race card on Friday night, followed by a nine-race program on Saturday night at The Creek.

GET ON

Our Indifference at Albion Park on Saturday in night race seven.

Drawn gate one, the Gemma Hewitt trained five-year-old was taking inside runs last when only beaten a half-head. Gate one gives him every chance.

LARRY AND ZEUS CHASING SLOT SUCCESS

Leap To Fame has been dealt an early blow, drawing outside the front line, while his conqueror from the Miracle Mile, Don Hugo, has landed gate two.

Early market support has been in the favour of Don Hugo who looks set to run as the favourite with the barrier draw advantage, while Larry is on the second line of betting.

That will be unfamiliar territory for the Dixon trainer Hall of Famer, as the last time he was not the favourite for a race he contested was back in October 2022, in the Victoria Derby.

Don Hugo and Leap To Fame last met in the Miracle Mile where the margin was 1.3-metres in the favour of the Luke McCarthy trained five-year-old.

Both horses have since had one run, Don Hugo with an effortless Menangle victory in 1.49.3, while Leap To Fame was electric in setting a new track record at Albion Park in 1.48.6.

Leap To Fame will need to be at his peak to claim The Race, but the 2200 metre trip will be more suitable than the mile.

If the winner is to come from outside either of the Dixon or McCarthy pair it would be a shock, however Merlin won this race last year for Bary Purdon and Scott Phelan and Chase A Dream was super impressive in his Waikato Flying Mile victory last week.

In the Tab Trot Slot race, it will be Not As Promised that flies the Queensland flag as he faces the biggest test of his career.

Warming up with a tidy second place finish in last week’s Waikato Trotters Flying Mile, the five-year-old should take benefit from the run, but will need to take another big step, with this race full of trotting superstars.

Elitloppet-bound The Locomotive is the favourite from barrier six, while Oscar Bonavena which defeated Not As Promised last week, is on the second line of betting for Mark and Nathan Purdon.

The race is dominated by Australian horses, with five of the eight runners making the trip across the Tasman to contest the event.

Regular driver for Not As Promised, Nathan Dawson, will again partner the 15-time winner and despite a tidy effort last week when second to Oscar Bonavena, Not As Promised is the rank outsider in the market.

IS THE CAPTAIN A SURE THING?

The drop in grade looks substantial for the Shannon Price trained Sure Thing Captain in the Jack and Kay Waltisbuhl memorial which will be run as race two on Saturday night at The Creek.

The talented five-year-old has had two runs back from a spell, with both appearances when tackling Group events.

Resuming in the Newcastle Mile with a third placing behind Leap To Fame, the gelding was listed as an emergency for the Miracle Mile, but ultimately took his place in the Group 2 Lighthorse Free For All where he ran as the equal favourite.

Finishing in fifth place behind Don’t Stop Dreaming, the 10-time winner will line up from barrier 10 on Saturday night, fresh up since that last start Menangle outing.

Adam Sanderson will take the lines behind Sure Thing Captain, who will need to overcome a rock-hard fit and in-form Dele Row who has a significant barrier advantage from gate two.

Completing a hat-trick of victories last start, Dele Row finished over the top of his opponents to claim an impressive victory, highlighted by a 54.3 last half.

Tom Callaghan will take the reins this week for trainer Chantal Turpin, who won this race last year with Wisper A Secret.

Can Dele Row mirror the path of his stable mate Wisper A Secret and win this race as a four-year-old on the way to a monster season?

Owner Douglas Johnston will be hoping history does repeat, as he owns both pacers.

SUNSET TO BOUNCE BACK

Golden Sunset was narrowly defeated last start in the Our Overanova Trotters marathon, but the Shawn Grimsey trained mare will be out for redemption this week.

Winning four in succession heading into the marathon, the streak came to an end when she was narrowly beaten by Berriesandcherries.

Despite working hard outside the leader for the last 2000 metres, the seven-year-old was brave and loomed as the winner, before being collared in the closing strides.

A return to mobile conditions at 2138 metres is in her favour and despite the field boasting a number of winning hopes, the early market suggests it is one way traffic, as she has traded as low as $1.85.

Berriesandcherries will be improved following an interrupted preparation prior to her marathon victory, while Get used To It has two wins in three starts from the mobile and has drawn well in gate two for Angus Garrard.