Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
The year 2024 started how 2023 ended for Australia’s best pacer, Leap To Fame, with victory at Albion Park.
Given a small freshen following his Inter Dominion victory back on December 16 last year, the Grant Dixon-trained superstar and 2023 Australian Grand Circuit Champion was back to start his latest campaign that will include races in Victoria and New South Wales over the next six weeks.
Despite being faced with barrier seven over the flying mile, Dixon took any chance of bad luck out of the equation early in the race, sending the now five-year-old to the front, taking control after the first 400 metres.
With the opening quarter appearing on the board in 27.5 seconds, the field settled into single file formation and Dixon was able to be extremely kind to his champion through the next 800 metres with splits of 31.1 seconds, followed by a 28 second panel down the back.
That left the race to develop merely into a 400 metre blitz, with Leap To Fame able to zip home comfortably in 26.5 seconds to claim the 30th victory of his career from 40 starts.
Such was the ease of the victory, Leap To Fame may now have another local start prior to his next major target which is the A.G. Hunter Cup at Victoria’s Melton track on February 3.
Barely raising a sweat with his effortless return, Dixon may look to giving the five-year-old one more run before heading south, with a few events in the sights of connections.
The Hunter Cup is the immediate target and a victory in the $500,000 Grand Circuit event would push the career earnings of Leap To Fame through the $2 million barrier.
Following the Hunter Cup, a shot at the Miracle Mile on March 9 beckons with qualification for the New South Wales flagship race available either through the Newcastle Mile on February 23 or the qualifying sprints at Menangle on March 2.
Tims A Trooper, who has been a loyal travelling companion for Leap To Fame, could once again head South with his stable mate, despite originally being in the nominations for Saturday’s Ballarat Cup but not lining up.
THE BAD
Local trainers from the Tamworth region were left without a qualifier for the New England region’s signature race with all ten qualifiers for this Friday’s Golden Guitar either from Queensland or other regions of New South Wales.
Queensland claimed bragging rights in the heats, with three of the five heat winners going to horses trained in the Sunshine State.
Looking to defend his Guitar victory of 2023, Graham Dwyer will be dually represented in the Final after Kickatinalongpony and Luvbite were both victorious in their respective heats.
A newcomer to his stables, Dwyer produced seven-year-old gelding Kickatinalongpony first-up from a spell with Brendan Barnes taking the reins and keen to find the front as the mobile pulled clear.
With fellow Queenslander, Glenledi Commander drawn in gate one for Ryan Veivers and Jordan Topping, Barnes was able to take control and run the field along at even sections.
Turning for home, the only danger looked to be on his back and despite getting leg weary in the closing stages, Kickatinalongpony was able to hold on, with Glenledi Commander also progressing to the Final with his second placing.
Trainer and driver Shane Graham headed to the Country Music Capital with the lone runner and his five-year-old gelding Mossdale Terry was arguably the most impressive of the five heat winners.
Overcoming a second line gate, Graham drove confidently despite working hard and the gelding responded, rating a strong 1.56.2 for the 1980 metre journey, which was the second quickest of the five heat winners.
With three Queensland representatives in the final heat, the start did not go to plan for the Veivers-trained Girl From Rosedale, causing a false start at the first attempt and then galloping as the mobile pulled clear on the second attempt.
Layne Dwyer was in the seat aboard Luvbite for his father Graham, while Matt Elkins was driving for Ben Battle with Call Me Keith having drawn awkwardly inside the second line.
With a perfect one-by-one trail, Dwyer moved Luvbite three-wide at the 600 metre mark and was able to extract the best from his five-year-old to grip on for the narrowest of victories over a game Mighty Atom.
There could be a strong maroon flavour this Friday night at Tamworth.
THE WILDCARD
Trainer Mark McNee has had one of his best starts to a season for many years, having secured four wins by the middle of January.
With a small stable at any one time, McNee has produced three horses this season, two of those providing the victories, while the third is the trotter Dead Set Crazy that at times tends to live up to his name.
Three-year-old pacing gelding Nautie Galvinator has started the season with a bang, remaining undefeated in all three appearances with a pair of Redcliffe victories prior to a win at 'The Creek' last Monday.
A son of Bettors Delight, Nautie Galvinator is out of Sheza Galvinator that McNee also trained to five victories in her career before a career at stud beckoned.
McNee’s other winner in 2024 to date is True Grit Shadow who gave the Redcliffe-based trainer two winners for the week when claiming success on his home track last Wednesday night.
True Grit Shadow is a half-brother to La Safron.
La Safron is a pacer that McNee and stable clients Steve and Neta Malone had great success with over recent years prior to his retirement in March of 2023.
A winner of seven races, True Grit Shadow has won five of those since joining the McNee barn, with Matt Elkins taking the reins in three of those victories.
The Elkins and McNee combination have started 2024 in top order, with the pair combining for six race starts that have returned four wins, providing Elkins with all of his winners to date, early in the new season.
THE MILESTONE
It has been a whirlwind start to the 2024 season for Gemma Hewitt who was able to land her first driving treble at Albion Park last Tuesday.
Picking up drives for other trainers keen to utilise her concession claim, the first of the three came aboard the Shane Fraser-trained Bangkok Deejay.
Settled back in the pack and allowing the race to unfold, the talented five-year-old was saved for one run and showing great acceleration was able to reel in the leading pack to claim victory, the ninth of his career.
The middle leg of the treble came with the Doug Lee-trained Khulan Kid, with Hewitt hunting across early to find the trail from gate four.
Looking to be in a spot of bother as the leader started to stall approaching the home turn, Hewitt remained patient and when angling back to the passing lane, Khulan Kid was able to pick up and dart through for victory.
The final of the three winners came aboard Our Indifference, a four-year-old that Hewitt also trains for one of Australia’s biggest standardbred owners, Mick Boots.
From just three starts for Hewitt, Our Indifference has now had two wins and a second placing.
The good week continued for Hewitt on Saturday night, adding another winner with Sweet Miracle remaining undefeated since arriving in her stable, stretching the record of the seven-year-old mare to a perfect five from five in Queensland.
Overcoming the outside front line, the mare was never in danger after being sent forward early to take control of the race and win comfortably in a slick 1.53.4 rate.
Highlighting the strength of Hewitt's start to the season are the training and driving strike rates produced to date, with the training sitting at 29 per cent and the driving at 55 per cent.
THIS WEEK
Racing starts with a Monday evening fixture from Redcliffe with a six race card to be decided.
The regular Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon fixtures will comprise the three meetings from Redcliffe for the week ahead.
Albion Park will host three meetings with a big ten race card on the first of the three fixtures coming through on Tuesday afternoon.
Friday will be a night meeting, with the main metropolitan event for Saturday night.
On Tuesday at Albion Park, the ballot for slot holders for the Protostar will be conducted, with eight slot holders to be confirmed for Australia’s only slot race for two-year-olds.
