News Article - Australian Harness Racing

Guerin: Queensland on radar for Merlin after Derby triumph

25 March 2023

Don’t be fooled by the small margin Merlin scaped home by in Friday night’s $135,000 Woodlands Derby.

Because driver Zachary Butcher is adamant the quality colt could have won the classic by a lot more had he wanted.

“That is just him, he doesn’t like running away from horses and just switches off,” said Butcher after his first win in the great race.

7 August 2026
Spotlight On: Savage Seas: Just how good is Savage Seas? Or more accurately, just how good can Savage Seas be? The exciting freshman pacer caused the biggest boilover at the recent QBRED Breeders Classic race night at Albion Park when taking the ‘glamour’ division, the two-year-old Colts and Geldings Final in dramatic...

7 August 2026
Max's marvelous run not over yet: MILLIONAIRE pacing marvel Max Delight hasn’t finished chasing feature races just yet. Trainer David Aiken said the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton in October looms as a logical target for the rising 11-year-old, who made headlines for the wrong reasons in last month’s $1 million Brisbane Inter...

7 August 2026
Loucasso to light up Menangle: ONE of Australia’s most exciting pacers Loucasso will return to the racetrack tomorrow (Saturday) night at Menangle. No, it’s not quite a race yet, but new trainer-driver Seaton Grima says that won’t be far away. “I’m just taking him for a workout between races as the next...

7 August 2026
Castles aims to continue strong season: Harness racing trainer Charlie Castles has been enjoying a strong season. With the Easter Cup win of Gordons Bay in Launceston earlier this year, the highlight, the trainer has enjoyed a total of 14 wins and 25 placings from his 76 starters. His top-three strike rate of 51.32% is the best among Tasmanians...

6 August 2026
GOODFORM - Craig's Selections for Friday at Mildura: Race 1: OVERVIEW: STARVIN MARVIN (1) settled in eighth position, came out three horses wide at the 700m and finished off reasonably well for third behind Itz Blackjack last week. He hasn’t had much luck recently and gets his chance to return to winning form from the pole position. SNEAKY PHILTRA...

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