Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GRASS
The Darling Downs Harness Racing Club made a successful return to TAB racing on Sunday with an eight race card on the grass at the Lockyer Valley Turf Club.
Brittany Graham can lay claim to driving the first winner at the venue when two-year-old Poster Boy gelding Big Rig Saint secured the opening race.
Failing to finish after being dislodged on the crossing in that opening race, it was an inglorious start to the day for Chloe Butler.
However, the 21-year-old Butler bounced back with aplomb, taking driving honours on the day, steering home a winning treble which included the feature, the Gatton Grass Cup aboard Old Luke.
Pressing forward as the mobile released the field, Old Luke was unable to cross the Doug Hewitt-driven race favourite, Always Thunder, and was forced to sit parked.
Despite doing all the work in the run, Butler was able to elicit the best from the 11-year-old veteran, grinding out the victory over a fast-finishing Mighty Flying Art, with the grass track specialist Our Major Day holding down third.
It was the third leg of a winning treble for Butler, with her other two wins secured aboard Rocco Variety and Mustang Dude, both horses trained by Lola Weidemann.
It was the Weidemann sisters combining to win the last race of the day, with Julie driving for the first time this season at the Lockyer meeting.
Having not driven throughout the 2023 season, Julie took three drives and showing she still has the competitive spirit, was able to guide My Secret Beach home to his 23rd career victory and fourth this season.
While Butler claimed driving honours, training honours went to Lola Weidemann with her treble, with Mitch Turnbull picking up a double which included the Cup victory of Old Luke.
CONSOLATION PRIZE
Last Tuesday afternoon’s QBRED Triad Consolations included a number of strong performances as the QBRED features ended for the 2024 season.
The Gail Geeson-trained Pinkchampagne darted through along the passing lane to defeat the favourite, the Shannon Price-trained, Weregoingtogetcha by a head margin in the two-year-old fillies division.
In the two-year-old colts and geldings division, the passing lane again told the tale, as Leonard Cain guided Maywyns Mighty Mac home to victory for trainer Kelli Dawson, with Shannon Price again missing out as Always Promise Me finished just over two metres away in second place.
Gemma Hewitt trained the winning quinella in the three-year-old fillies division, going as close to a dead-heat as can be recorded, as Dream Melody defeated Merry Jewel by the barest margin possible.
Merry Jewel was taking her shot via the passing lane, while Dream Melody was working home wider on the track and had her nostrils flared at the right time, with Doug Hewitt taking the reins on the American Ideal filly.
Unlucky to have missed out on a spot in the Group 1 Colts and Geldings Final, Checknoutthetalent picked up the consolation victory, setting a new personal best at the 2138 metre middle trip with the 1.56.1 victory.
Trained by Chantal Turpin, it was the geldings sixth career victory, with all four consolations on the day won by a different trainer.
THE TREBLE
Brendan Barnes stepped away from the Thursday afternoon meeting at Albion Park with the driving honours, guiding home three winners for three different trainers, with all three horses claiming a new best winning mile rate.
Borella was the first winner on the board for Brendan, spearing the four-year-old straight to the lead from gate two and maintaining the advantage throughout.
Stopping the clock in 1.53.6, it was a strong second-up victory for Borella, securing a new benchmark of 1.53.6 with his fourth victory from 12 starts.
Brian Christopher was the second winner.
Brendan gave the six-year-old the prefect trip behind the speed and angled to the outside at the top of the home straight.
Sprinting hard and fast up the stretch, Brian Christopher had just over a metre to spare on the line, the 1.53.3 winning time a new lifetime best at his fifth win this season.
Trained and owned by Brendan’s father, it was Al Barnes' 12th training success this season.
Completing the treble in the last race of the day, it was a slick and equally gritty victory form Kowhai Blaze, trained by Gemma Hewitt.
With Brendan looking after Hewitt's team while she holidays in Europe, he sent the five-year-old mare forward to sit parked outside the leader and favourite, Queenslander.
Turning for home, Kowhai Blaze had put the leader away and pulled clear to a winning margin of just over eight metres, as the mare claimed the eighth win of her career.
THE BROODMARE
At one stage of Long Legs Lou's racing career, the horse was part-owned by media personality Erin Molan, with all winning prize money being donated to Bowel Cancer Australia.
She was retired to breeding duties with one win and a further nine placings.
Long Legs Lou had one winner from her three foals prior to last week.
By the end of the week, her breeding stats had jumped to a perfect three from three thanks to maiden breaking wins by her two-year-old and three-year-old progeny.
On Wednesday night at Redcliffe, Grant Dixon (who also trained Long legs Lou) produced three-year-old gelding Let Me At It to win his first race at career start number 10 with a tough victory.
On Friday night, the Trent Dawson-trained and reined filly, Leave It To Lucy claimed a breakthrough victory in smart fashion, charging home over the top of her older rivals.
A daughter of siring sensation, Always B Miki, it was just the third career start for Leave It To Lucy who had progressed through to the Group 1 Two Year Old QBRED Triad Final at just her second start.
Finishing strongly down the outside of the track, the filly stopped the clock in an impressive 1.55.9 rate.
THIS WEEK
At Albion Park on Tuesday, the Springboard Finals for two and three-year-old trotters will be held.
As was the case in the recent QBRED Triad Finals, Monterey Lass and Laydownluna look set to fight out the two-year-old division.
In the three-year-old division, My Ultimate Sunny can add another victory to his impressive season that has already netted five wins in just six starts.
After two weeks of Thursday meetings being held at 'The Creek', racing will return to Redcliffe this Thursday afternoon, with the Peninsula club hosting Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon fixtures.
Marburg will be the venue for the Sunday afternoon card, with all races offering a QBRED cash bonus to the winner for the Father’s Day meeting.
