Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
MEGA DECEMBER FOR 'LEADER PETE'
A mammoth month of December has been the catalyst for Pete McMullen to break the record for most Queensland metropolitan wins in a season.
Despite missing a winner at the December 14 meeting, McMullen picked up three, four and five wins respectively at the other three meetings for the month, to end the season with 75 metropolitan victories.
The previous best was recorded in the 2014-15 season by Shane Graham when steering home 74 winners.
It was a season where Graham also claimed the state premiership with 255 wins.
Graham is currently second behind Grant Dixon for most wins by a Queensland reinsman with 3,194.
That is another number that McMullen looks set to reel in, currently just five wins back in third place.
McMullen will take five drives at the final meeting of the term.
He currently sits on 274 in the state title that he has already secured over last season’s state and national champion, Nathan Dawson.
With a career-best six winners on a metro card earlier this season, 'Leader Pete' claimed a handful at a metro meeting for the third time in his career, which has been gathering serious momentum in the past five seasons.
Highlights in 2024 have included surpassing 3,000 career wins, a 15th consecutive 100-win season, fifth consecutive 200 win season, three Group 1 wins, two Group 2 wins and the new metro drivers record secured on Saturday.
Along with wife Chantal Turpin, McMullen will head into season 2025 buoyed by the depth of their stable talent and the chance to mix it with some of the world’s elite drivers in the Ultimate Drivers Championship in February.
ALL HAIL THE DUKE
Topping off a great night for the Turpin and McMullen stable, four-year-old gelding Duke Of Scotland shaved 0.1 seconds off the track record held by his stablemate Blacksadance.
The 1.49.2 record has stood for just over two years, with that time set on September 10, 2022.
Blacksadance became the first pacer to go below 1.50 under race conditions.
This year has seen the record peppered with the 1.50 barrier bettered on four occasions, with Jimartee (twice), Always Smokin and Braedos Lad all running times close to the record without being able to better it.
Duke Of Scotland achieved what those three had been unable to do this season by establishing a new benchmark mile.
The 1.49.1 rate was made up by splits of 26.8, 27.2, 26.9 and 28.3 seconds to continue the stellar year of owner Craig Whiteoak.
In a year where the winners have flowed freely for Whiteoak, he may just have found his best prospect.
Turpin confirmed plans will now be made to target the Miracle Mile at Menangle in early February with Duke Of Scotland.
RISSOLES WITH A TASTY WIN
Rissoles gave Dexter McLean his second winner of the season when claiming victory at Redcliffe last Friday night.
Still mixing red coat duties with his two-horse stable, McLean has the five-year-old gelding performing consistently this season, having placed in five of seven starts before Friday’s breakthrough.
Pressing forward from gate five, Rissoles was forced to race outside the leader, where he proved too strong in a race of many moves.
Eliarn was the first to press forward before breaking gait at the 1100 metre point.
Playing For Keeps then made a move at the 600 metre mark before hanging badly and losing valuable ground.
Frankies Girl made a lighting charge at the 500 metre mark to hit the front, but McLean had the belief in Rissoles who fought back strongly to claim victory.
It was a profitable evening for 77-year-old McLean as he trained, drove and owned the gelding, who picked up the $14,000 QBRED first win bonus with the win.
Dexter McLean was a close friend of the recently passed Don Ross Snr.
McLean's old mate would have been watching with a smile to see Rissoles claim victory.
QUEENSLAND OUT OF LUCK IN ADELAIDE
The two Queensland representatives - Grant Dixon and Nathan Dawson - in the Australian Drivers Championships held over the weekend were unable to repeat past glories as Gary Hall Jnr took the spoils.
Dixon (2015) and defending champion Dawson both finished down the ladder behind Hall Jnr on a night where not much went right for Queensland.
The second race of the series was the highlight for the Sunshine State representatives.
Dawson claimed victory with an all the way effort on Delightful Tammy, with Dixon claiming the quinella aboard Wrangler.
Firing across to lead from gate four, Delightful Tammy was never in danger as Dawson guided the mare to victory and moved him to 248 wins for the season.
Locally Dawson and Dixon will finish second and third respectively in the state metropolitan title behind Pete McMullen.
Dawson will finish in second place in the state title, with seven drives at the last meeting of the term to chase down a third 250-win season in his career.
THIS WEEK
The 2024 season will come to an end on Tuesday at 'The Creek' with the final nine races of the year.
The first meeting of 2025 will be held on Wednesday night at Redcliffe, with the new season heralding new handicapping procedures that stakeholders should familiarise themselves with.
Redcliffe will host a day meeting on Thursday, while Albion Park will host their first meeting of the new term on Friday night, with metro racing for the new season starting Saturday.
This Sunday, January 5, from 10.30am, a service to celebrate the life of Don Ross Snr will be held at Albion Park.
