Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.
Feature racing in Victoria is starting to heat up and with the Hunter Cup just four weeks away, the highlight of the week in Queensland might just take place on the trial track.
With the defence of the Grand Circuit event in his program, Leap To Fame has been booked to trial at 'The Creek' on Friday afternoon to open the pipes in readiness for his next road trip.
That could well be the highlight of the afternoon to coincide with a seven race card, while Saturday night will see a strong nine race card from headquarters.
GET ON
Majorita Jujon.
After three runs back from a spell, the Grant Dixon-trained mare finds the right gate and conditions to claim her first win of the season.
Setting the tempo in a stronger three-year-old race two starts back, this looks the ideal set up.
FREE THINKER BACK IN ACTION
He may not have been able to produce a podium finish in The Eureka like his illustrious stable mate, however the effort of the Grant Dixon-trained gelding was still full of merit in last September’s signature event.
Finishing under nine metres from the winner Don Hugo, Free Thinker was far from disgraced after securing his spot in the rich feature with victory in The Hayden.
Given a steady standing start trial to prepare for his first appearance of the season, the gelding was only asked to sprint up the last 400 metres, where he was able to punch out a slick 26.6 second split.
To be driven by Trista Dixon on Saturday night after Grant has opted for Risk Taker, the five-year-old has landed in gate nine, while his main dangers appear to be Franco Macho (one) and Betting Origin (three).
Franco Macho has two wins in his past five starts and was an eye-catching run last week when flooding home from back in the field to finish a close second.
Betting Origin has sat parked in his past two attempts for trainer and driver Trent Dawson, with his effort three back a strong performance when setting a strong tempo over the 2138 metre trip.
If there is a knockout hope, it may be Aqua Sancta, a gelding who has good credentials over the middle trip and can finish strongly off tempo.
LET’S TROT
Race seven is the trotting event for the night on Saturday and the assembled field includes the reigning Australian three-year-old trotter of the year and the Albion Park track record holder.
Golden Sunset, Hide And Seek and Not As Promised all boast last start victories at 'The Creek', with the Shannon Price-trained Hide And Seek completing a hat-trick of wins with his last appearance.
Despite starting from gate seven, the talented performer can chase a fourth win after putting his troublesome tendencies aside in recent weeks with some impressive performances, the most recent with a slick last 800 metre panel.
Not As Promised returned from over 12 months off the scene with victory last week but faces a sharp rise in grade and an awkward draw, as he looks to remain undefeated at Albion Park after making it a perfect six from six with his latest win.
Is That A Bid is the track record holder at this trip and will need to be at his best to overcome the outside second line gate, however, should strip fitter after two runs back from seven weeks off.
TURPIN HOLDS THE KEYS
Race five on Saturday is a mares event and four of the runners are prepared by last season’s metropolitan premiership-winning trainer Chantal Turpin.
Ima Beach Babe draws the best of her four runners and will start from barrier one, while Miki Magic, Robyn X and Aardies Money have all drawn the second line.
Aardies Money and Ima Beach Babe are both last start winners, with Turpin opting to drive Ima Beach Babe who secured a last start personal best victory of 1.53.6 when leading throughout.
Pete McMullen will partner with Miki Magic who maps for the stalking trip and has been in great form with two wins from her past four starts, while last start, the run was big despite receiving no luck.
Last start winner Lara Tiara for Donny Smith and Nathan Dawson looks the best placed to upstage the Turpin party, following her all the way victory last week.
The last race of the night will also feature four runners from the Turpin stable, with three of them resuming from a spell.
A four-year-old event, Checknoutthetalent, Rylee Rhayne Bow and Dele Row will all face the starter for the first time since August following their respective QBRED Triad assignments.
Rylee Rhayne Bow was a winner of the three-year-old fillies edition, while Checknoutthetalent claimed the colts and geldings’ consolation.
Dele Row was the runner-up to Bronski Zulu in the colts and geldings Final and will look to reverse that result on Saturday where he starts to the inside of Bronski Zulu.
