Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.
Three meetings will be held across the weekend, with nine races each on Friday and Saturday night, followed by eight races on the grass at Gatton on Sunday afternoon.
The highlight will be Saturday at Albion Park where potential Sydney campaigns will be put under the microscope for several Queensland-trained horses.
Albion Park track record holder Blacksadance headlines that charge when he steps out in race three at 6.46pm.
HORSES TO WATCH:
BLACKSADANCE
After two solid performances in his past two appearances, connections have indicated that a start in the Len Smith Mile is being sought with the seven-year-old.
Valiant in defeat last start, the track record holder at the mile was asked to sit parked outside the airborne Jimartee who would go on to win the race.
With the winning time set at 1.49.8, Blacksadance fought hard all the way in holding second, almost four metres from the winner.
The Chantal Turpin-trained gelding has previously contested the Len Smith Mile, finishing last in the 2022 edition - which was won by I Cast No Shadow - after being forced to work hard from a wide gate.
A winner of 26 races along with 36 placings in his career, Blacksadance can look to secure a start in the Menangle feature with a strong performance in race three at 'The Creek' on Saturday.
Drawn gate four in a field of eight, the Turpin stable will be represented by four runners, with Blacksadance mapping to bully his way to the front.
IRON CLAD
Trained by Grant Dixon, the three-year-old was back in winning form last start in a career-best winning rate of 1.53.5.
A winner in three of 10 during his two-year-old season, not much has been in the favour of the Art Major colt this season.
The times he has drawn well, the race shape has gone against him and the other races he has been hampered by bad barriers.
Sitting outside the leader last start, Iron Clad was able to display his strength in a fighting victory against older horses.
This Saturday night, the Dixon-trained and driven colt will start from barrier two in race seven.
It is a race where he will clash with fellow last start winners, Cosmic Flyer, Dragon and Sheer Artistry.
A New South Wales Breeders Challenge campaign beckons for Iron Clad, where he will look to progress to the Group 1 Final, having finished fourth in the 2023 series as a two-year-old.
PATH TO GREATNESS
Undefeated in two career starts, this race will be a great guide to where this Dixon-trained two-year-old is at.
Both victories have been at Redcliffe where he has been impressive, without winning by big margins.
His opposition this Saturday is much stronger and contains the second placed runners from both the colts and geldings and fillies Triad Finals from last week.
Like his stable mate, Iron Clad, Path To Greatness is a New South Wales Breeders Challenge eligible runner and a tilt at the two-year-old division of that series is on the radar for the Captaintreacherous gelding.
Tackling the likes of Thetorque Majority, Braventreacherous and Arrive who all competed strongly in the Triad features last week, the abilities of Path To Greatness will become much clearer after Saturday night's contest.
OUR MAJOR DAY
Grass track racing will head to Gatton for the first time this Sunday, with the feature race the Gatton Grass Cup at 4.22pm.
Our Major Day draws wide in the seven-horse field, with the Dayl March-trained and driven veteran boasting vast experience on the grass.
After three runs back from a spell, the gelding looks well-placed despite the wide gate to add another Grass Cup feature to his resume.
With 30 wins across his career, this race looks much easier than recent assignments, with most of the field competing on the grass surface for the first time.
SATURDAY NIGHT PREVIEW
A total of nine races will be conducted on this Saturday’s metropolitan fixture with the first race to jump at 5.39pm.
Leading the metro trainers title, Chantal Turpin looks to have a number of chances across the night, with Pete McMullen looking to extend his lead in the metro drivers’ premiership, partnering the main chances from their stable.
Alta Magacian looks well placed in the opening race of the night for the husband-and-wife combination, tackling this race following successive second placed runs.
Runner-up to The Eureka hopeful, Sure Thing Captain, last start, Alta Magacian was second during the carnival behind Duke Of Scotland in the JC McMullen when attacking the line strongly the start prior.
Despite a wide gate, look for Dangerzone to be running on strongly in the closing stages of the race, following a smart effort last time out where he was resuming for the Butler stable.
Chloe Butler will take the reins on the five-year-old who has won 10 races in his career and is closing in on $200,000 in earnings.
“We’ve never really had luck with draws with him ever,” Butler said.
Assessing his first-up effort, the stable were pleased with how he attacked the line in the closing stages.
“He definitely exceeded expectations there, we did not expect that, especially with the sloppy track,” Butler said.
“Everything is super with him, we couldn’t be happier with him at home.”
Race two looks one of the more open races on the program, with the only last-start winner engaged drawing awkwardly, inside the second line.
That horse is Mach Assassin, trained and driven by Doug Hewitt, who has his stable in great form in the past fortnight.
Chynchilla will be chasing four successive victories in race six with Shane Graham taking the reins for trainer Donny Smith.
Following a pair of sizzling Redcliffe victories, the four-year-old was in her own race last start, sent straight to the front from outside the front line and was never in danger.
Allowed to roll from the front, Chynchilla set a 1.51.0 mile, highlighted by a 26.7 second closing quarter as she pulled clear.
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