Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
Named in honour of one of the toughest stayers to grace the track, Saturday night’s Flashing Red Handicap was the best field ever assembled in the 13-year history of the event.
Passing away in 2022 at the age of 25, Flashing Red was a dual New Zealand Cup winner and in 2010 the first ever Flashing Red Discretionary Handicap was held to honour the $2m earner.
With a capacity field of 14 runners condensed on three lines, the result was a great effort by all horses, trainers and drivers with 12.8 metres the distance from first through to last.
It was the Jack Butler-trained and Nathan Dawson-driven Hot And Treacherous that claimed the honours, scoring a gritty win over the long 2647 metre journey.
Safely away from the 10-metre handicap, as the field sorted their positions, Colt Thirty One worked to the lead with 2000 metre to travel which saw Hot And Treacherous positioned perfectly in the one-by-one trail.
Leaving the trail at the 1200 metre mark, Dawson sent his drive forward to get outside the leader through a middle half of 28.1 seconds.
The runs started to come from the 500 metre mark and as those back in the pack were wide between bends, Hot And Treacherous had put his head in front as they swung for home.
Sprinting home a strong closing quarter of 27.4 seconds, the five-year-old was able to hold off a fast-finishing Manila Playboy with Turn It Up rattling home for third.
The win proved an astute training performance by Jack Butler, sending the gelding into the 13-furlong staying test with five-weeks between runs.
With the Constellations Carnival one month away, Saturday night’s performance suggests he will play a big part in the upcoming carnival with the Redcliffe Gold Cup an obvious target under the standing start conditions.
Another winner from the Butler stable on Saturday night that will have Constellations aspirations is Dangerzone, with the four-year-old back in winning form after a slick effort over the mobile mile.
Finishing runner-up at his past two appearances, the four-year-old gelding was a stylish winner from off the pace on Saturday night, gathering up the leader in the stretch to score a two meter victory.
The winning time of 1.52.1 at his ninth career victory was a new personal best for Dangerzone and the effort should have caught the attention of potential slot holders for the upcoming The Hayden.
Driven to victory by Chloe Butler, the ‘duck has been broken’ with the win Chloe’s first aboard the talented four-year-old, having driven him in his five runs this preparation.
Last season’s premiership winning trainer, Butler is currently sitting 33 wins adrift of the current leader Grant Dixon, however his team is ticking over nicely ahead of the upcoming winter riches.
Along with Hot And Treacherous and Dangerzone, Butler will have a strong hand in the trotting races with Adelle and potentially a Derby aspirant in the shape of Lous Dream.
STARGAZING
The 2023 Constellations Carnival is now just over one-month away and over the past week, performances both locally and interstate have started to light up the track.
Locally, Leap To Fame was clinical in his victory in a Band 5 event at Albion Park on Saturday night, finding the front easily before running home 54.5 seconds.
Speak The Truth is already locked away with a slot in The Hayden and was brave in holding third after sitting parked, while fellow four-year-old Tims A Trooper rattled home into second placing.
The Rickie Alchin-trained Group 1 winner Soho Rhapsody impressed in mare’s company, running her last mile wide off the track in 1.53.61 as she continues towards targets that potentially could include the Rising Sun and the Golden Girl
In New South Wales, the Menangle free-for-all saw several Sunshine Sprint and Blacks A Fake hopefuls doing battle in the J D Watts Memorial.
It was former Kiwi, South Coast Arden that proved successful, remaining undefeated in two starts since crossing the Tasman to join the stables of Paul Fitzpatrick, scoring a narrow victory over Spirit of St Louis that was having his first start since finishing second to Betterzipit in The Nullarbor.
Jarrod Alchin might have to reconsider plans with Delightful Angel, the mare resuming from a spell and breaking the 1.50 barrier, defeating Queen Elizabeth II mile winner Braeview Kelly, as a potential tilt at the Golden Girl beckons.
Across in the West, Magnificent Storm continued his winning ways ahead of his confirmed trip to Queensland, the six-year-old never in danger in a small five-horse field, with a last panel blitz of 26.6 seconds to score effortlessly over the 2536 metre journey.
Melton on Saturday night was abuzz when Bettor Isolate ran the hands off the clock in finishing third to Hurricane Harley.
The lightly race five-year-old was a carnival attendee in 2022, claiming the Rising Sun consolation and JC McMullen and was huge in defeat on Saturday, clocked to run his own closing 400 metres in 25.38 seconds.
Hurricane Harley did his chances of a spot in the hulking Emma Stewart no harm with his first-up win, controlling the race from the front.
Trotter Arcee Phoenix could target the inaugural The Great Square as the four-year-old remains undefeated in 2023, making it three from three since resuming this term for trainer and driver Chris Svanosio.
From Kilmore on Thursday, the Shane Sanderson-trained Dangerous looked sharp winning first-up, making a wide run around the home bend and then able to pull clear to claim his fifth career victory.
The Redcliffe Derby, Rising Sun, South East and Queensland Derbys all on the radar for the Sweet Lou colt.
THE MILESTONE
Training his first ever trotting winner earlier this season with C K Spur, the training winners have proven elusive for the small team prepared by Matt Elkins in 2023.
Finally able to secure his first pacing winner of the term, Elkins produced Hezashadowplaya to score on Tuesday afternoon at Albion Park, powering home over the concluding stages to claim a half-neck winning margin.
Settled back in the pack from the second line gate as Luke John sizzled through the opening half in 55.9 seconds, Elkins timed his run perfectly, easing to the outside on the home turn to deny Mo Szyzlak the win, with Freddy Singh a further five metres away in third.
Stopping the clock in a mile rate of 1.53.5, it was a new career best for the six-year-old gelding that was having just his third start since joining the Elkins stable.
While the training winners have been light in the first half of the season, Elkins has been keeping the driving winners ticking over and surpassed 700 career wins on Saturday night at Albion Park.
Taking the reins aboard Standandeliver for partner and trainer Narissa McMullen, it was a crafty piece of driving to have the gelding in behind the leader from two out on the second line.
It was the winning move, as he was able to get the passing lane run and claim the Marburg to Albion Park Final, the final race on Saturday’s card with the victory.
After claiming the last race on Saturday night, Elkins was straight back into winning form on Sunday, scoring in the opening event aboard Substitooth for trainer Donny Smith.
Ending the week on a high, Elkins claimed a driving treble adding wins with Maffioso Girl and Circle Line to his tally, a pair of pacers that he has had a great association with.
Scoring a front running victory on Maffioso Girl for his father Greg, the win was the 20th career victory for the mare, with 15 of those when trained by Greg Elkins, with Matt in the sulky for each of those wins.
Completing the treble in the last race of the night, evergreen veteran Circle Line secured his 30th career victory at start 297, 10 of those victories under current trainer James Lewin.
Elkins was able to get the best out of Circle Line in the closing stages to score, claiming his 15th win behind the gelding.
THE WILDCARD
The winter pilgrimage of interstate trainers is building and despite a strong contingent currently campaigning away from the cold of the southern states, like the Maroons, it is the Queenslanders that have dominated the past week.
From the past week, there were 62 races conducted at Albion Park and Redcliffe from Tuesday through Sunday, with just seven of those claimed by a visiting trainer.
Thursday at Redcliffe was the most successful day, with three of the 10 races won by the visitors.
The Betts family are making the most of their 2023 winter and Thursday saw them claim a winning double, with Phoebe Betts scoring a driving double aboard Magical Flick and Dinosaurus Rex.
Opening the card with a maiden breaking win aboard Magical Flick, the filly justified her $1.60 favouritism, scoring an effortless win for trainer and owner, Monica Betts.
After the all the way win with the three-year-old filly for her mum, Phoebe was able to complete the double for her dad Graham, driving Dinosaurus Rex, an eight-year-old gelding he trains and part-owns with Monica, to victory.
Returning to Redcliffe on Sunday night, Phoebe was able to replicate her efforts from Thursday and again claim a winning double.
The first win came for a fellow Bathurstian, Nathan Hurst, guiding eight-year-old Tulhurst Terror to an effortless all the way victory.
Completing the double for local trainer Steve Towns, Betts was able to control the pace from outside the leader aboard Littledee to score victory by a head margin.
Other winners for the visitors were Chris Frisby with two and Rob Morris with one, while Scott Hewitt scored the first win of his 2023 trip, when Alta Classic, a pacer he bred, owns, trains and drove was successful on Sunday night.
THIS WEEK
Six days of harness racing are on the programme for the week ahead in South East Queensland, starting with a 10 race card from Albion Park on Tuesday afternoon.
Friday will see Albion Park host another night meeting before Saturday night’s metropolitan fixture.
Racing from Redcliffe will be in the regular Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon slot with the week winding up at Marburg who will host a Sunday afternoon meeting.
Race seven on Tuesday afternoon might prove a guide looking towards some of the upcoming three-year-old features when Bold Medley Jujon and Borella clash.
Both pacers competed in heats of the New South Wales Derby back in February and connections will be hopeful that the Redcliffe, South East or Queensland Derbys will feature in future plans.
Another quality three-year-old on a possible Derby path is Sure Thing Captain, who will also step out on Tuesday in race six, fresh up from the New South Wales Derby Final where he finished fifth behind Better Be The Best.
