Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
CHAPPLE WITH A SWEET TON
Stuck on 99 career wins for over three weeks, teenager Jack Chapple was able to reach triple figures at Marburg last Tuesday.
The elusive winner to reach the 100 seemed to be further away every day until Chapple made the most of gate one with the John Boserio-trained Hes Sweet.
Heading out to the 700 metre oval for just the one drive, it proved to be a worthwhile journey with the six-year-old gelding finding the front soon after the start and he maintaining the advantage throughout.
Chapple has made the most of his opportunities since relocating to Queensland to join the Grant and Trista Dixon operation.
He has found race drives in abundance while Grant has been campaigning interstate.
Securing his first win aboard Tralee Rocks in 2022, Chapple claimed three winners that year.
A shift to Bern Hewitt in 2023 saw Chapple reach 33 winners in the 2023 season.
On the verge of doubling that number for 2024, the latest win was 64 for the term, reaching the triple figures in dictating fashion.
The Marburg win was also his first winner on that circuit, with Bathurst and Redcliffe his most successful decks, driving 26 career winners at each.
Now that the first 100 is out of the way, expect Chapple to start opening the shoulders and chasing down the next 100.
ANGUS CLAIMS A QUARTET
For the fourth time in his career, Angus Garrard drove four winners at a meeting, achieving the quartet at Albion Park last Wednesday night.
The night started with victory when leading throughout aboard the Riley Butt-trained Parama.
The eight-year-old stopped the clock in a new career personal best time of 1.52 for the mile, making it successive Albion Park victories.
Smarter Than You for Darren Weeks was the next winner, Garrard producing a clever piece of driving to get the three-year-old off the inside and into open space.
Once set free, the gelding sprinted sharply to reel in the leader and claim a second career victory at just his fourth start.
Completing a double for trainer Daren Weeks and treble for himself, Garrard led throughout aboard Badlander, pulling clear to make it successive wins.
The fourth win came with the Matt Crone-trained trotter Benji Hall.
Garrard - known as ‘The Kid’ - made his move at the right time as the leader My Rumour Has It, Hold My Hat Doug and Benji Hall all pulled clear of the opposition over the last 300 metres.
It was Benji Hall that finished best, responding to Garrard’s urgings to also make it successive victories.
With five successive 150 win seasons to his name, at the current strike-rate, Garrard should reach 1,000 winners next season and would become the youngest driver to reach that milestone.
CLASSY CHRISTMAS
Lola Weidemann took the driving and training honours on the day at Marburg with a treble, but it was Shes Classy that claimed the Christmas Cup on Sunday.
Trained by John McMullen and driven by Taleah McMullen, the Vincent mare has won two races since arriving from New Zealand midway through last season.
Both the wins have been at the Marburg track, almost one-year apart.
Claiming her first win for owner Alan Self and the McMullens late last year, the four-year-old mare finished runner-up on Tuesday in the Christmas Cup heats after working home wide off the track behind Doc Harvey.
Starting from inside the second line for the Final behind the short-priced favourite Mister Diamond, the mare would always need some luck on the tight track that does not have a passing lane.
Settling in the pocket trail soon after the start, a mid-race injection of speed from Beef City Starzzz saw the field open up.
Approaching the home bend, Mister Diamond looked to be travelling strongly.
However, Taleah was able to shunt her way into the clear and set out after the leader.
Arriving in the closing strides, Shes Classy scored by a neck margin over the Trent Moffat-trained and reined Mister Diamond, with Beef City Starzzz holding on for third.
For Taleah, it was a great warm-up for the Australasian Young Drivers Championship.
She will represent Queensland in the series which starts on Tuesday at Menangle.
DOUG’S BREAKOUT SEASON
With more than 250 driving wins, including a pair of Group 1 victories aboard Ripp, Doug Hewitt’s first training success came in December 2023 with Mach Assassin.
Fast forward 12 months and Doug is on the verge of his first 50 wins as a trainer.
He is now firmly established in Queensland, sitting in eighth spot in the metropolitan trainer’s premiership.
The impressive win of Jungle Baby on Saturday night in the mare’s free for all race moved Hewitt’s career tally to 49 training wins.
The mare made it successive metro wins and her fifth win since arriving in Queensland.
Friday afternoon saw a relative newcomer to the Hewitt stable, Empress Byeline, claim her second win under his care in posting a career best 1.53.7 rate.
Eased from gate four, the four-year-old mare finished over the top of her rivals to claim her fifth career victory and third this season.
Britts Mate and Jessejames Shannon added wins on Wednesday and Thursday to give Doug a winner at each Albion Park meeting for the week.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Taleah McMullen will represent Queensland in the Australasian Young Drivers Championship will starts at Menangle on Tuesday.
The series comprises of nine heats with two at Menangle Tuesday, Bathurst, Wednesday, Penrith Thursday and Newcastle Friday before the final heat is conducted on Inter Dominion Grand Final night on Saturday at Menangle.
Jimartee will be the lone Queenslander in the Inter Dominion decider after the Cristina Monte-trained seven-year-old progressed to the Final with a second in the final heat.
Locally racing returns to Redcliffe this Wednesday night for the first meeting under the new lights, with racing on 'the Triangle' back to the Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon schedule.
