Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
STAR GAZING
The Grant Dixon stable will have a strong hand in the upcoming Queensland Constellations and will pack a hefty one-two punch in the Queensland Oaks.
Cool And Classy was a strong winner of the New South Wales Oaks.
Cool And Classy will be joined in the Dixon stable by Captains Mistress who is being sent across the Tasman for the upcoming carnival.
A daughter of Captaintreacherous, like Cool And Classy, Captains Mistress was successful in the Group 1 New Zealand Sires Stakes Final at Alexandra Park on Saturday night.
Keayang Zahara had her winning streak broken on Saturday at Menangle when defeated in the Macarthur Mile.
A fellow Inter Dominion aspirant ended the streak in Susan Is Her Name.
Susan Is Her Name was ranked at 37 following the first round of Inter Dominion rankings for the trotters.
However, the talented mare stepped up to show her class, producing the second fastest mile in Australian history with her 1.51.7 victory.
In the Queen Elizabeth mile for the pacing mares, Eye Keep Smiling landed another Group 1 victory, scoring a determined win in 1.49.3 to hold off the fast-finishing Steno.
Eye Keep Smiling was not in the Inter nominations.
However, Eye Keep Smiling is potentially a Constellations contender and is likely to defend her 2024 Golden Girl title.
Quatro Moth may have also caught the eye of some Protostar slot holders.
The Emma Stewart-trained mare led throughout in 1.53.3 to secure the Group 3 Pink Bonnet.
DIXON BREAKS AN OAKS HOODOO
Grant Dixon has won state Derbys on the eastern seaboard on multiple occasions in each state.
However, an Oaks victory has proven elusive for the master reinsman.
On Saturday night, last season’s Australian two-year-old filly of the year, Cool And Classy, claimed the New South Wales Oaks.
The Dixon-trained and reined filly finishing best to defeat the Michael Stanly-trained Soho Americano.
It was Luke McCarthy that drove the runner-up which provided a unique symmetry.
The result reversed the 2014 Queensland Oaks where McCarthy drove Nike Franco to victory over the Dixon-driven Charming Allie.
The dam of Cool And Classy is Charming Allie.
Charming Allie has now produced three foals.
All three have been successful, including Call To Order who won at Albion Park just 24 hours prior to his half-sister taking out the Oaks.
Friday night proved to be the perfect warm-up for the Oaks victory for Dixon as he landed a winning treble with the first three winners of the night.
HYPNOTIZED BY VICTORY
Hypnotize Me was the first two-year-old trotting winner of the season in Queensland.
The Graham Dwyer-trained gelding scored on debut at Albion Park last Friday.
On May 9th, the gelding made it two from two, overcoming a 10-metre handicap in leading home a Dwyer-trained trifecta in the event.
It was also a trifecta to the Pace With Mates Syndicate who own the first three across the line.
All three are raced on lease by Marty Dwyer.
Hypnotize Me is a Sebastian K gelding and posted a winning margin over the second-placed Serena Love, who had been a late scratching the week prior when slated to make her debut.
Black Viper held on for third placing after his second placing on debut.
The gelding is the half-brother to the talented pair of Monterey Lass and Agent Black.
Proving to be a terrific sire of juvenile trotters, the former world champion Sebastian K has now sired three of the past four winners that have been successful in the first two-year-old trot race of the season in Queensland.
THIS WEEK
The week will start a little different in Queensland with Tuesday’s meeting relocating to Redcliffe while the Albion Park track is resurfaced.
The work began on Saturday night at the completion of the metropolitan meeting and will be completed in time for racing to resume this Friday night.
Redcliffe will race on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Sunday a meeting is programmed on the grass at Kilcoy to round out the week.
