Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
FREE THINKER CLAIMS CUP
Grant Dixon continued a huge month of June, securing three training wins on Redcliffe’s premier night of racing, including victory in a second successive Gold Cup.
With Aroda looking to join Hexus as the only pacers to secure back-to-back wins in Cup history, it was stablemate Free Thinker that was able to capitalise on an economical trip to take the feature.
Safely away to find the back of the early leader Mossdale Terry, Free Thinker was shuffled to three back the marker line when Always Smokin moved around and applied strong pressure.
With the tempo solid through the middle stages, Always Smokin drifted up the track in the last lap.
That allowed Mossdale Terry through to regain the lead, which in-turn moved Free Thinker one position closer.
Turning for home, Free Thinker took the inside run and darted through to score victory by a neck margin over Mossdale Terry, with Send It charging home to grab third place.
The win gave driver Mathew Neilson his third victory in the Redcliffe Cup, moving him equal with Dixon for most wins in the race.
The winning time of 1.58.2 broke the race record set by Aroda in 2024 and also shaved 0.3 seconds off the track record for the 2613 metre standing start distance.
CAPTAINS MISTRESS TOO CLASSY
A wide second line barrier was not enough to stop Kiwi filly Captains Mistress from taking out the Redcliffe Oaks on Saturday night.
With race favourite Soho Americano setting the tempo out in front, New Zealand reinsman Nathan Williamson settled his filly at the rear, in the running line.
Cool And Classy was three-wide for the first 700 metres, until finally she found her way to the position outside the leader, which gave the one-by-one trail to Sugar Pie Honey.
With the first half of the last mile set in 59.4 seconds, Williamson made his move approaching the winning post with one lap remaining.
Unable to flush out any cover, the filly moved up strongly three wide over the last lap and as the filed approached the home turn, Captains Mistress had worked to the front.
As the field straightened for the run to the judge, there was only two chances.
Ruby Rules emerged from the pack to chase the Kiwi filly.
However, Captains Mistress was in for the fight and held off the Trista Dixon-driven Ruby Rules, with Cool And Classy running a valiant third.
The 1.55.4 winning rate equalled the class record of Ever Art set in her victory in the 2024 edition of the race, with connections now potentially eyeing off a start in The Rising Sun.
Williamson had flown in from New Zealand specifically to drive the filly and was given a drive aboard the Grant Dixon-trained Arkin Wicked earlier in the night to familiarise himself with the unique Redcliffe track.
Williamson will likely head back to Brisbane for The Rising Sun should she gain a start.
DAWSON WITH ANOTHER TON
Nathan Dawson has become the second Queensland driver to reach 100 wins for the season.
He reached triple figures after steering home a bagful on Friday night and reached a pair of milestones.
Opening the night with an all-the-way victory aboard Megs Boy for trainer Ben Battle, Dawson was able to bookend the card, guiding Kyokushin Bear to victory in the last for trainer Tayla Gillespie.
In between those two winners was a race-to-race double for trainer Michael Brennan, with wins in race seven aboard Premier Paul and race eight on Post Painter.
The win of Premier Paul gave Dawson his 1,000th Albion Park career victory.
The narrow margin aboard the $14 chance upset the short-priced race favourite Fernco Nel and Pete McMullen.
The victory of Post Painter took Dawson to 99 wins in 2025.
However, the race to 100 hit a pair of hurdles.
Driving Sweet Maori Miss in race nine, the mare was travelling strongly in front.
However. she made an error and her chances expired.
With just one race remaining, Dawson had the drive on the favourite.
However, his chances looked forlorn after a starting error saw him over 70 metres behind the early leader when the field settled into stride.
Catching the pack and then chasing the leader, and reeling it in, Kyokushin Bear scored a huge victory to break maiden ranks, giving Dawson 100 winners for the season and four for the night.
The quartet saw Dawson become the second Queensland driver to 100 wins this season alongside Pete McMullen.
Dawson beat Angus Garrard to triple figures, with Garrard stranded on 99 by the end of the evening.
It is the ninth successive season that Dawson has driven 100 winners in a term.
THIS WEEK
The week starts off the track with the barrier draw for The Rising Sun to be held on Monday night.
The unique pick your own barrier format will be broadcast live.
On the track, racing will be every day of the week, with Redcliffe hosting three fixtures for the week, Albion Park three and Marburg rounding it out with a Sunday afternoon meeting where the NAIDOC Celebration Pace will be held.
All eyes will be focused on 'The Creek' for the start of the Inter Dominion series this Saturday night, with a strong support program that includes The Rising Sun, the Paleface Adios Classic and the South East Derby and Oaks.
