Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
DIXON ON FIRE
It was a night of dominance from the Grant and Trista Dixon stable on Saturday night, securing five winners on the Albion Park metropolitan card.
It was the 16th time that Grant Dixon has landed a haul of five training wins on a card, with 12 of those at metropolitan level.
Along with training the five winners, Grant drove four of them, with Jack Chapple taking the reins aboard the fifth.
The night started with Chapple guiding Miracle Moose to a second successive victory in the opening race of the night.
The nine-year-old established a new career best rate of 1.51.3 with his 23rd career success.
Charge Ahead was the next winner for the stable.
Charge Ahead's win was highlighted with a slick last 400 metre split.
The four-year-old was fresh up since the Chariots Of Fire when finishing second behind Bay Of Biscay.
Cheer Leader, a half-sister of Charge Ahead, made it a race-to-race double and claimed two milestones with her half-neck victory.
Setting a new best time of 1.51.3 with her 12th career success, Cheer Leader eclipsed $200,000 in stake earnings.
Race six was the fourth Dixon winner of the night.
The Group 1- winning four-year-old Air Express scored a sizzling win from gate seven, charging home in the closing stages.
Fight For Victory completed the quintet when the Bettors Delight colt landing the Changeover Classic with a super impressive 1.53.5 victory.
It was successive wins in the feature for the Dixon stable following the success of Cool And Classy in the race last year.
Claiming the five winners helped Dixon leap to the top of the metropolitan trainer’s premiership and also move ahead of Emma Stewart in the national title race.
LUVBITE DELIVERS UPSET
The great season of Luvbite took another step on Saturday night.
The Graham Dwyer-trained six-year-old provided driver Layne Dwyer with his first victory in open class ranks.
Given the ideal trip behind the speed by Layne, Luvbite was able to dart through along the passing lane to claim a narrow victory over Tims A Trooper.
Luvbite continues to thrive on racing and a look into his form highlights just how durable the gelding has been since joining the Dwyer barn.
“It’s pretty exciting, we beat some nice horses there,” Layne said after the race.
“I couldn’t think of a better horse to do it on.
“He’s just a little champion and he keeps getting better and better.”
Purchasing the son of Betting Line from the Courtney Slater barn in July of 2023, the gelding started on 26 occasions for Graham Dwyer through the remainder of that season.
Placed in seven of his first nine starts following the switch, it would be at his 10th start that he claimed his first victory for Graham Dwyer, with Angus Garrard taking the reins on for that first win.
Victorius in one more race for 2023, Luvbite raced consistently throughout the 2024 season, facing the starter on 50 occasions, claiming four wins and 17 placings.
The latest victory on Saturday was the fifth this season for Luvbite, along with five minor placings from 16 starts, moving him to fifth overall on earnings for horses prepared by Graham Dwyer.
STAR GAZING
The Grant Dixon stable may have produced their latest star two-year-old off the Tamborine production line when Fight For Victory scored victory in the first two-year-old feature of the year in Queensland.
Settled in the running line, the Bettors Delight colt overcame a scrimmage at the top of the home straight to attack the line strongly and push his claims for a Protostar slot.
In the last race of the night, Chynchilla again displayed why she is potentially the best mare in Queensland, charging home in the closing stages to defeat Rylee Rhayne Bow.
The Donny Smith-trained mare extended her record at Albion Park to nine wins in 14 starts, with the Group 1 The Golden Girl firmly on the radar.
At Menangle, four-year-old gelding Ravishing Sloy enhanced his The Rising Sun claims with the 13th win of his career, stretching his career earnings beyond $200,000.
Pandaia made huge inroads at her first Australian campaign that culminated in a tilt at the 2024 The Golden Girl.
The Rickie Alchin-trained mare scored in the Group 3 Sibelia Stakes with a 1.50.5 success.
THIS WEEK
Tuesday will start a 13-day consecutive stretch of racing in Queensland when Albion Park host an eight-race card.
'The Creek' will host a further two meetings for the week, with Redcliffe holding three meetings, a Sunday night fixture added to the Wednesday and Thursday schedule.
Week two of the Trot Rods will feature again at Redcliffe on Wednesday.
