Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
The 2023 Team Teal campaign has commenced in the past week, with the popular fund-raising initiative now a regular fixture in harness racing in Australia and New Zealand, running from February 1 to March 15 each year.
The first week of the campaign in Queensland has netted $3,600 for the Team Teal tally, with six different female drivers successful for the week totalling nine wins with $200 from Racing Queensland, the Albion Park and Redcliffe Clubs contributed to the total, with Tabcorp also adding $200 for every win.
Taleah McMullen and Jordan Topping are the ambassadors for 2023 and both ladies can be seen wearing the special silks along with the teal pants in every race they compete in during the campaign.
It was Narissa McMullen that had the first win on the board for Team Teal in Queensland this year, scoring aboard Isntthatright for trainer Stephen Cini at Albion Park on Tuesday.
A pacer that has been in superb form since heading north to Cini’s stable, the seven-year-old extended his record to six wins in 11 starts for Cini, with a further four placings also to his name.
With the eldest McMullen sister on the board, Narissa’s younger siblings both added to the tally at Redcliffe on Wednesday night with Taleah claiming victory aboard After Darn for her father John, and Dannielle scoring aboard Geldof for husband Ryan Veivers.
Lola Weidemann made three for Team Teal on Wednesday when she chipped in with an all the way victory aboard Jaydes Terror, a mare that she also trains.
Thursday at Redcliffe and it was Chloe Butler on the board for the 2023 campaign when partnering Torque Writer to victory first up since transferring to Jack Butler’s stable, the nine-year-old mare overcoming a winning drought that had extended back to November 2020.
Jordan Topping scored her first win in the ambassadorial role when leading all the way aboard Glenledi Commander for trainer Ryan Veivers on Friday at The Creek.
Sent straight to the front, Topping was able to rate the pace perfectly in front aboard the six-year-old, with opening quarters of 29.8 seconds and 29.6 seconds before bringing them home in identical 28.5 second closing quarters to hold off the fast-finishing The Waterboy.
Taleah McMullen claimed honours for the week with three winners, adding a further pair of wins with Looks Just Right on Friday and Red Castleton claiming the last race on Saturday night.
Narissa McMullen denied Taleah four for the week, steering So Much More home along the passing lane for a narrow victory over the Taleah driven Kanye Crusader, making it two in the first week of the campaign and both wins coming for trainer Stephen Cini.
The $3,600 annexed through the nine winners, eclipsed the first week of the 2022 campaign by two wins, setting the scene for what could be a big six weeks for Ovarian Cancer research.
THE BAD
The week started as it finished for owner Craig Whiteoak - with a second placing recorded by one of his runners.
It started on Tuesday at Albion Park when The High Commander was forced to do all the work outside Delta Three, digging in for the fight over the 2138-metre journey, where he ultimately came up 4.7 metres short despite the brave effort.
Saturday night it ended in the last race for the week, this time when Sugarinspice led for much of the PSP Trotters Mobile event, only to be run down in the closing strides by Red Castleton.
There was some success however for Whiteoak, with one of his pacers, Betterthanarocket, claiming an impressive performance at The Creek on Saturday night.
Tackling the AQWA Constructions Qualifying Pace, the five-year-old looked to be facing a task when positioned four back along the markers and in a zip fastener with 400-metres left to travel.
Squeezing off the marker line approaching the home turn, the gelding looked to have plenty to offer, yet still no gap was forthcoming.
McMullen angled wider to find open space and with 150 metres to travel was the widest runner and starting to hit top gear.
Launching once into open space, Betterthanarocket hit the afterburners and charged hard down the outside and was able to arrive for a three metre victory, his third win for trainer Chantal Turpin and fifth of his career.
The 1.52.8 winning rate was a new benchmark for the five-year-old, eclipsing his previous best of 1.54.0 when winning in November of last year.
The year 2022 ended in fine style for Whiteoak, who is a loyal client of the Turpin stable, his team scoring 44 wins for the season, which included a treble on Christmas Eve when Its Mr Clooney, Sugarinspice and Alta Revelry were all successful.
Owning some handy performers including the now three-year-old Alta Magacian who was a two-time winner from just three starts during his two-year-old term, 2023 could be another big year for the Whiteoak, Turpin and McMullen combination.
THE WILDCARD
Despite living in the shadow of a stable-mate that has recently been crowned the Australian Three-Year-Old of the year, Tims A Trooper has progressed to a fourth Group 1 at Menangle and sixth of his career
Tackling the Hondo Grattan Sprint on Saturday night which provides qualification through to the Chariots Of Fire for the first three placings, the Grant Dixon-trained gelding secured his entry when finishing third.
Driven by Robbie Morris, who has driven the gelding in each of his previous Menangle Group 1 appearances, Tims A Trooper was eased from gate seven to settle four back along the inside as the hot favourite and eventual winner Republican Party set the tempo in front.
Sticking to the inside, Morris was able to pinch ground as the field fanned for the long run down the Menangle straight.
Forced to ease one off as Mahomes went back looking for space, Tims A Trooper responded to Morris urgings despite racing in limited space and was able to hold on for third, narrowly missing second which was snared by Lightning Dan.
Tims A Trooper was a winner in the 2021 NSW Two Year Old Breeders Challenge Series and then finished second in the 2022 Three Year Old Breeders Challenge Blue Series, both at Group 1 level.
His other appearance on the elite stage was when finishing sixth behind Leap To Fame in the Derby.
It will be the first time since 2014 that Dixon has qualified a Chariots runner, with Majestic Mach his last runner in the four-year-old feature event.
As it was in 2014 with Guaranteed, who started favourite and was successful, once again it will be an Emma Stewart pacer that ranks as the one to beat, with Captain Ravishing also progressing following his win in the four-year-old Bonanza on Saturday night at Melton.
THE MILESTONE
It might be an unlucky number for some, however there was nothing unlucky about Red Castleton claiming win number 13 in his career on Saturday night.
There was however a unique feature to the victory as the gelding secured victory at his first attempt this season, the win being the first time that he has won over the sprint trip in Australia.
Overall it was just his second win at the mile, the other coming at Alexandra Park in Auckland when winning at the mobile mile in April of 2019.
Having already provided off-track couple Trent Lethaby and Taleah McMullen with a trio of Group 3 victories on track in his career to date, Red Castleton was first up in 2023 on Saturday night when eased to the rear.
As Sugarinspice repelled an early challenge from race favourite Majestic Harry, Taleah had Red Castelton four back on the inside through a slick opening half of 57.4.
Still last with 500 metres to travel and Majestic Harry yielding ground to keep Red Castleton pocketed, Sugarinspice looked to have pinched a winning break turning for home.
Turning into the home stretch and still with more than 12 metres to make up, Taleah was able to shoulder into the clear, with Red Castleton letting down powerfully to arrive in the closing strides in a new career best winning rate of 1.55.9.
With career stake earnings edging closer to $200,000 with the latest victory, the win was his eighth since crossing the Tasman to join Lethaby and McMullen, earning more than $100,000 in his 48 appearances for the couple.
The win also added a further $400 for Ovarian Cancer Research, Red Castleton having won a race in each of the past three seasons during the Team Teal Campaign, a contribution totalling $1,200 for the ten-year-old.
THIS WEEK
Six straight days of harness racing in Queensland starts on Monday night with a seven-race card from Redcliffe.
There will be three meetings a piece this week from Albion Park and Redcliffe with eight races on Wednesday night along with the Thursday afternoon fixture from The Triangle.
Albion Park will host nine races Tuesday followed by a Friday afternoon fixture, with the last meeting of the week, the metropolitan fixture on Saturday night.
Trainers Shannon Price and Shawn Grimsey will both be campaigning at Menangle this Saturday as the Menangle Carnival begins to take shape.
Teddy Disco has drawn wide in the Paleface Adios Stakes as he chases a potential Chariots Of Fire start, landing gate eight (seven if the emergency is not required).
Last start Group 3 winner Sure Thing Captain has drawn the outside barrier in the last race of the night as he presses on towards a New South Wales Derby assignment.
