Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.
It may be the New South Wales Breeders Challenge Final night at Menangle, but Queensland-trained horses are well placed to claim three of the four Group 1 Finals.
The Dixon stable continue their southern raid, with the barrier’s kind to their four runners in the two-year-old and three-year-old colts and geldings divisions.
Saturday night will also be a key hit out for Leap To Fame who tackles the Battle of Beersheba free for all, landing gate eight for the 2300 metre contest.
Unfortunately, The Lady Dior would have provided the Sunshine State with a runner in each of the Group 1 Finals, however the Gemma Hewitt-trained filly has suffered a sesamoid injury and has been scratched.
CAN SOAP OPERA WRITE HER OWN SCRIPT?
A total of five Queensland-trained runners are left to chase Group 1 glory across three races on Saturday night, with the Dixon quartet joined by the Darren Weeks-trained filly Soap Opera, who will contest the three-year-old Fillies Breeders Challenge Final.
Soap Opera will be partnered by Angus Garrard after the pair loomed strongly in last week’s semi-final, ultimately finishing in third position behind Elusive.
A winner of the Group 2 Breeders Blue Final in early September, Soap Opera will look to become the first ever winner of Breeders Blue and Breeders Challenge Finals in the same season.
Currently on the third line of betting for the Final (race nine), Renewal and Elusive are ahead of Soap Opera in the market and both fillies have drawn inside the Queenslander.
DIXON DOUBLE?
Race three is the two-year-old colts and geldings Final with four runners from the inaugural Protostar during the Queensland Constellations, lining up in the $150,000 event.
Fate Awaits won the Protostar from gate one back in July and will start from barrier one on Saturday as he looks for another feature race victory.
Placed in both appearances in New South Wales, the colt had to settle for third in his semi after setting the tempo but he was collared in the closing stages as Jungle Dragon arrived for victory.
That was just his second start since July and should tighten him further for the big Final, with Grant Dixon taking the reins back after Robbie Morris was entrusted with the drive for the semi-final.
Josh Gallagher will drive Dixon’s other runner, Path To Greatness, who suffered the first defeat of his career when third behind Hezatrecherous who has now put together four wins in succession.
Dixon will also have a two-pronged assault in the three-year-old colts and geldings Final after Iron Clad and Air Express both secured a spot in the Group 1 Finals.
Dixon will partner with Air Express who has drawn gate one and will be looking to turn the tables on the Emma Stewart-trained War Dan Buddy.
Runner-up in their semi appearance, Air Express worked in the run before finishing three metres behind the winner in a slick 1.51.0 mile.
War Dan Buddy will start from gate two with the colt as short as $1.50 in early betting to make it a clean sweep of the series.
Robbie Morris will drive the stable-mate to Air Express, with Iron Clad to run from barrier four after his fourth place behind Rocku in his semi-final.
Chasing a hat-trick of victories in the semi, Iron Clad started from wide off the front line where he was taken back early before finishing stoutly, running his own closing half in 55.28 seconds.
LARRY BACK IN ACTION
Following the disappointment of missing the Victoria Cup owing to a viral complaint, Leap To Fame will be looking to resurrect his New Zealand Cup campaign.
The Battle of Beersheba free for all has drawn together a quality line-up which is headlined by the Queensland champ, who has won 14 of his 15 starts this season.
Run over 2300 metres, Leap To Fame will be provided strong opposition by potential NZ Cup opponents in Nerano and Major Moth.
CREEK CONSIDERATIONS
A 10-race card will be offered on Saturday night at 'The Creek', with the last race likely to have strong form implications for the upcoming Sunshine Stars Classics.
Cool And Classy looks to have a strong hold on the fillies division of the upcoming $125,000 feature and will resume from a let-up this Saturday after her last public appearance was victory in the Group 1 Triad Final in August.
Drawn the outside of the seven-horse field, Our Sweet Delight, who draws one gate closer to the rails in six, has a fitness edge after a game second last week when also returning from a break.
Race seven sets up a great contest with Royal Speech drawn gate one with Aroda in gate four.
The Matt Elkins-trained Royal Speech was too strong for Aroda a fortnight ago and the strength of that form was franked last week when Aroda claimed victory in tough fashion when sitting parked.
There are four last-start winners in the line-up and a number of chances should Aroda or Royal Speech undo each other.
GET ON
Race eight on Saturday, Betting Star has now placed on five successive occasions following a victory six starts back.
Out of the pack and chasing gamely when runner-up to the slick Elegant Grooves last week, she looks to have found the ideal conditions for a breakthrough.
