Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
Defeated by bad luck and his ‘big brother’ in the 2023 Blacks A Fake Championship, hometown hero Leap To Fame turned the tables in 2024, claiming a win more breathtaking than his romp in the Inter Dominion.
With all eyes on the first 300 metres if Leap To Fame could find a way off the inside from gate one, trainer and driver Grant Dixon was able to extricate off the inside into the one-wide line as firstly Turn It Up, then Blacksadance worked to the front.
Hi Manameisjeff was one of five Jason Grimson-trained runners in the field and from gate 13, Will Rixon was the first to make a move, pressing on and able to surge to the front with 1700 metres remaining.
Dixon angled three-wide with 2200 metres remaining and was left working until getting to the breeze at the mile, with the 74.9 second lead time the quickest seen at 'The Creek' and almost three seconds quicker through the same section of the 2023 edition, which was won by Swayzee.
With the leader folding at the 500 metre mark, Leap To Fame pressed to the front and was allowed to slide, 'Larry' was never in danger thereafter, cruising home to claim his third Grand Circuit victory of the year, defeating Swayzee by just over seven metres.
Running the last 800 metres in 54.6 seconds, Leap To Fame stopped the clock in a mile rate of 1.52.8.
The time was 0.7 seconds quicker than the 1.53.5 track record he set in claiming the Inter Dominion back in December.
Don Hugo did better that with a 1.53.4 win in the Blacks A Fake Consolation earlier in the evening but may just have set another record for the shortest time holding a track record, with his time standing for under three hours.
It was career win 41 for Leap To Fame and his 12th this season with a number of milestones being eclipsed with the victory.
It was the 11th Group 1 success for Leap To Fame, moving equal with Blacks A Fake, Im Themightyquinn and King Of Swing, just one win short of Lombo Pocket Watch and Smoken Up on 12.
The win took Leap To Fame past $3 million in career earnings, moving him to seventh on the all-time money earners list, edging past Lennytheshark.
Amazingly, the second placing for Swayzee also moved him past $1 million in earnings, a supreme effort for their dam Lettucereason, having produced two millionaires from her first three foals.
In claiming the $223,000 wining stakes, it saw 'Larry' move past Lennytheshark for highest stake earnings in a single season and with a plethora of riches still to chase this season, Leap To Fame could potentially record a figure that is never eclipsed.
After some well-deserved rest following his Constellations heroics, connections will look to map out a campaign, with the Victoria Cup, the New Zealand Cup and a defence of the Inter Dominion, all races that could attract the hottest commodity in the pacing world right now.
THE BAD
What you lose on the swings, you pick up on the roundabout.
This adapted saying certainly rings true for David and Stacey White who ventured across the ditch from New Zealand for a tilt at The Great Square with their talented trotter Bet N Win.
After winning the Stellar Square, fortunes for the couple soured when the talented four-year-old succumbed to a hoof abscess, meaning he did not contest the Group 1 feature and his preparation ended abruptly.
In a sliding doors opportunity, Nathan Purdon was returning to New Zealand and opted to leave three-year-old gelding Major Hot in Australia and entrusted the Whites to take on his campaign towards the Queensland Derby.
After winning the South East Derby, Major Hot had his chances of claiming the Derby double dealt a major blow, coming up with gate 12 for Saturday night's Group 1.
Positioning in the running line as Minos worked to the front, the field was shuffled at the mile when Kingman went off stride and galloped back through the field, with drivers taking evasive action to avoid trouble.
As the field went past the bell with one lap to travel, Adam Sanderson had Major Hot one out and three back in the running line as Bay Of Biscay started to apply the pressure to the leader.
American Spirit was the first runner to make a move three-wide and Sanderson was able to catch the cover and move forward as Minor continued to dictate.
As the field approached the 500 metre point, a gap to the inside opened as the field started to stretch out and Sanderson rolled the dice to angle back to the inside, finding the back of Bay Of Biscay which had moved up to challenge Minos.
Turning for home, Mark Pitt had taken Bay Of Biscay to the front, with Major Hot lurking and in the run to the judge, the pair pulled clear with Major Hot responding best to claim victory by a neck margin, with a further 24 metres back to the third placed Minos.
For the Whites, the victory provided them their first Group 1 training win, while for Sanderson it was his first pacing Group 1, having one previous victory at the elite level with the trotter Wee Man Trouble.
It was a bitter-sweet moment for the couple with David White confirming later in the evening that it had not really sunk in, especially as they had been both hopeful and confident that Bet N Win would be the horse to deliver them their maiden Group 1 triumph.
THE WILDCARD
Build it and they will come.
The inaugural Protostar had been billed as potentially the race of the Constellations and the two-year-old feature delivered a thrilling contest and the demolition of a track record.
Racing for $500,000 in stakes, it was the Grant Dixon-trained and reined Fate Awaits who came out victorious, claiming a half-head margin over The Highlight Reel for Emma Stewart and Mark Pitt, with the Nathan Jack-trained Sanchez following the pegs home to grab third.
Ladbrokes had two slots as the naming rights sponsor and were the first to announce a confirmed runner, locking away Fate Awaits back in April.
As the intrigue started to build, Fate Awaits trialled brilliantly in preparation before a somewhat disappointing return to the track in the Paleface Adios Classic.
However, landing gate one for the richest two-year-old race in Australia was a huge boost to the chances of the Always B Miki colt turning his fortunes around.
Holding the back of The Highlight Reel, who charged across to lead, Dixon was able to track the leader every step of the way.
Pitt was setting a solid tempo with the leader and turning for home, the speed meant nothing could make ground wider on the track and the only threats were following the markers.
Dixon had options and decided to right line Fate Awaits to the outside and in the drive to the wire, was able to get there in the last strides for victory.
Stopping the clock in an eye-watering 1.50.6 rate, the time took two seconds off the age record of 1.52.56 held by Jilliby Nitro, set in May of 2019.
With 13 applications for slots in the 10 horse field in the initial year, ballots for the 2025 edition look set to be keenly contested.
THE MILESTONE
Chantal Turpin became the second trainer in Queensland to reach 100 training wins for the season, bringing the milestone up in the best way possible, with a Group 1 victory.
Training three runners in the Queensland Oaks, Turpin took the drive on Rylee Rhayne Bow, husband Pete took the reins on Aardie B Miki and Narissa McMullen was thrown the keys to Zena Rhayne Bow.
Short-priced favourite Millwood Bliss was sent straight to the front when the mobile pulled clear, with Rylee Rhayne Bow settling on the leaders back from gate one as Aardie B Miki settled three back along the inside from barrier eight.
The field stayed in formation for the majority of the 2138 metre trip and as the field swung for home, Millwood Bliss tried to establish a gap on the chasers.
Look Like Diamond fought on gamely in the breeze and Rylee Rhayne Bow aimed up for the passing lane.
The gap opened for Aardie B Miki and McMullen angled the South East Oaks-winner into the clear, with the filly responding as the gap opened.
Showing electric speed, Aardie B Miki responded and was able to reel in the leader, to secure the Group 1 trophy and provide Turpin with her 100th win for the 2024 season.
It is the 11th successive season that Turpin has reached triple figures, with the strike rate this season the highest it has been in her career, claiming winners at 23 per cent.
Having a great Constellations in 2024, the win added to the Group 1 success claimed in the Rising Sun with Wisper A Secret and was her fifth win at the elite level.
Second on the state trainers premiership behind Grant Dixon, Turpin holds a two-win buffer over Dixon in the metropolitan premiership.
THIS WEEK
One of the biggest items to note this week occurs on Wednesday when the applications close for the Ultimate Driver Championship.
To be held in February of 2025 for the first time, it will be a huge two-night event with the best drivers likely to converge on Albion Park for the title of the Ultimate Driver.
The Constellations may have concluded; however, the show rolls on, with six meetings on the calendar in Queensland for the week ahead.
Albion Park will host three and Redcliffe three, with the focus for many the upcoming QBRED Triad events and boosting rankings in the ballot order.
A total of 10 races will be held at 'The Creek' on Tuesday, the opening race seeing six two-year-old returning from a spell with the QBRED features on their imminent schedule.
Redcliffe will host the Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday meetings, with 10 races on the card for Wednesday night.
