Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.
After a shock defeat in last week’s Smoken Up Sprint at Melton, champion pacer Leap To Fame will chase another Grand Circuit victory in the Victoria Cup on Saturday night.
However, it will not be an easy task for the reigning Inter Dominion champion who will start from inside the second line.
It is the same barrier he faced in the Hunter Cup earlier this season.
The Victoria Cup and Derby will attract Queensland attention on Saturday.
On Sunday, it will be Marburg that will captivate the attention of harness fans when Queensland’s first ever all trot day will take place.
GET ON
Albion Park on Saturday night in race nine. Sky Fawkes.
Breaking through for her first victory in the Sunshine State last time out, the mare draws ideally in gate two for the in-form Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen team.
CAN LEAP TO FAME BOUNCE BACK?
“Oh, my goodness. Can you believe it?”
That was all Dan Mielecki was able to say as Leap To Fame crossed the line last week at Melton, with Bulletproof Boy edging out the dual Australian Horse of the Year.
The Victoria Cup is the only Grand Circuit event on the east coast of Australia that is missing from the Leap To Fame resume and after drawing barrier eight for Saturday, it is a task made exponentially tougher.
Leap To Fame will follow out Catch A Wave who has drawn one.
However, it looks likely that Hi Manameisjeff will be driven aggressively to find the front, with driver Cam Hart outlining his desire to press forward early.
That will leave Grant Dixon hoping for some luck to force his way off into the running line.
Or, does he ease from the start and then look to loop the entire field?
It sets up for an intriguing contest and the early market has had Leap To Fame ease from an opening quote of $1.50 out to $1.75.
Leap To Fame has started in black figures just three time in the past two seasons.
They were at $2.70 when winning the 2024 Miracle Mile, at $2 when second to Swayzee in the Hunter Cup and at $2.20 when second to Don Hugo in the 2025 Miracle Mile.
The ‘longest’ price that Leap To Fame has started outside of those three runs was the $1.60 quote in the second-round heats of this year’s Inter Dominion where he also started from inside the second line at Albion Park.
Luke McCarthy will be chasing a fourth Victoria Cup triumph as he partners with Kingman.
Kingman is one of three four-year-old pacers in the field, along with Bay Of Biscay and War Dan Buddy.
One statistic that is in Grant Dixon’s favour - it has been almost two years since Leap To Fame has been beaten in successive starts.
GET YOUR TROT ON
Queensland’s first ever all trot meeting will be held this Sunday at Marburg, with eight races on the card exclusively for the square gait.
The highlight is the Graham Harriott Memorial.
The race has attracted arguably one of the strongest line ups in the history of the race.
Group 1-winner Global Flight will face a big ask for trainer, driver and owner Narissa McMullen.
The gelding is tackling the feature first-up from a spell.
With a single trial in readiness for the first-up attempt, Global Flight will need to overcome a 30-metre handicap to take victory.
Five Oclock Gerry will give teenage reinsman Luke Thirgood his first taste of Marburg and first drive behind a square gaiter under race conditions.
The five-year-old gelding is also first-up from a spell from the 30-metre tape.
The open class event has attracted a small field of six.
However, there is some quality amongst the field, headlined by Love Gun and Mufasa Metro.
The Tayla Gillespie-trained Mufasa Metro led the field and was game in defeat in the track record performance of Not As Promised at Albion Park last time out.
Mufasa Metro finished three metres away in second place.
Love Gun was back in the field in that same race and the Grant Dixon-trained gelding will be partnered by Jack Chapple who will be chasing his first win aboard the seven-year-old.
THE JANITOR BACK TO CLEAN UP
After a luckless trip to Sydney for the Len Smith Mile in early September, the Chantal Turpin-trained The Janitor returns to Albion Park on Saturday night to contest a small five horse open class event.
Drawn the widest of the five runners, it will not be one way traffic for The Janitor with Turn It Up landing gate one and the in-form Tims A Trooper also engaged.
Turn It Up showed his customary gate speed last week to find the front before taking a trail on the race favourite Wisper A Secret.
Aiming up for the last shot at the leader, the veteran went within a half-head of reeling in his 27th Albion Park victory.
Although it is only a small field, often these types of races can become tactical battles, but Pete McMullen would prefer to be directing the tune from the front.
“I’d like to see him in front, if he is not there, I don’t think it is the end of the world, but fingers crossed we can touch down on the front end,” McMullen said.
