Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
MYDADSAID TAKES THE C J
One of the highlight races on Saturday night as The Starlights shifted to Redcliffe was the inaugural running of The C J.
The event was claimed by the Jack Butler-trained and Leonard Cain-driven Mydadsaid.
Drawn gate one, Cain tried to urge the five-year-old at the start to maintain the inside advantage.
However, it was the Pete McMullen-driven Betterthancash that found the front.
With Regazzo Di Tilly moving forward to sit parked outside the leader, the field maintained the same order with no mid-race moves.
After an opening half of 60 seconds, the speed increased through a third quarter in 28 seconds as Mydadsaid was full of running but needed the gaps to arrive.
Angling into the passing lane, the five-year-old responded to Cain’s driving and claimed victory in the Group 3 event.
Mydadsaid beat Captain Hammerhead with Birkirkara charging between a needle-eye gap to grab third.
Formerly the Patrons Purse, it was Butler’s second win in the race following his 2016 victory with Barynya.
In six starts since joining the Butler stable, Mydadsaid has three wins and two minor placings, with the latest victory taking his career earnings just shy of $200,000 from 15 wins.
The win was the first of a winning double for Cain who also landed victory aboard Brookfields Beauty for trainer Shane Fraser.
It took his tally to 94 winners for the season as he chases a fifth successive 100-win term.
TOMMY’S TROUBLES
It has been a big November for Tom Callaghan.
He has experienced the highs and lows of racing over recent weeks.
A vital component of the Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen operation, Callaghan has had a breakout season.
He has collected 58 winners for the term, including a maiden Group racing success aboard Udderly Sweet in the QBRED Breeders Classic Final at Group 3 level.
Recently turning out his first starter as a trainer, the first win came at start number two, with Sir Richard Lee scoring at Redcliffe.
Looking to make the most of his opportunities while Turpin and McMullen were in New Zealand creating history with Gus, a race fall at Albion Park has put a dampener on what has been a stellar 2025 for the 19-year-old.
With no timeline on a return yet, the frustration of seeing missed opportunities was evident across the weekend.
Having formed a strong relationship with three-year-old trotter Maroon Bells in recent months, Callaghan had to watch on as the filly was able to claim victory in the Queensland Trotters Derby on Friday night for trainer John McMullen.
On Saturday, Basilisk Bob was too classy for his rivals in the Redcliffe Yearling Sale Series three-year-old Final.
Both drives that would have been his if not for the fall, with Pete McMullen taking the reins aboard both winners.
Fracturing his left wrist in the fall, Callaghan will be hoping for a positive prognosis from the medical experts when meeting with them this week.
JUJON SHOWS SOME MAGIC
Following on from her win in the heat, Magic Jujon arrived in time to take out the 16th Redcliffe Yearling Sale Series Final.
Owned and bred by Dr John Mammino, Magic Jujon has now won four of her five career starts, with trainer Grant Dixon taking the reins behind the filly for the first time on race night with Saturday’s success.
Adah Koko burrowed through at the start to hold the lead, with race favourite Call It Bling moving forward to sit outside the leader.
A strong tempo was set up front with the opening two quarters appearing in 29.1 and 29.5 seconds, before they went quicker again with a 28.7 second third split.
Those up front started to feel the pinch as the backmarkers worked into the race and it was Magic Jujon and another Dixon-trained runner, the Adam Sanderson-driven Moonshine Milly, who loomed strongly.
Magic Jujon hit the front and was able to stave off the late challenge from her stablemate to provide Dixon his sixth victory as a driver and fourth as a trainer.
For Dr Mammino, it was his second win in the event, adding the 2025 trophy to that of Governor Jujon from the 2019 series.
JUST TOO CLASSY
Cool And Classy completed the Sunshine Stars double with a dominant victory in Friday’s reprogrammed three-year-old fillies Classic for driver Trista Dixon.
Sent to the front soon after the start, the reigning Australian two-year-old filly of the year was never in danger as she pulled clear to set a career best 1.51.8 rate.
Turning for home, Cool And Classy was in a race of her own, with the 26.5 second closing quarter making the task impossible for those chasing.
Ruby Rules, stablemate of the winner and driven by Grant Dixon, emerged out of the pack to grab second place, with the Amanda Turnbull-trained and reined London Baby grabbing third to deny a Dixon-trained trifecta.
Trista Dixon grabbed a three-year-old Sunshine Stars double with the win, claiming the colts and geldings’ division aboard Fight To The End.
The two-year-old fillies went to the Ben Crosby-trained and Nathan Dawson driven Queen Tide.
The filly maintained her unbeaten record with an effortless victory.
Will Rixon combined with trainer Keith McDeed in the two-year-old colts and geldings event as Pure Grunt completed an impressive first season of racing with his sixth win to complement seven minor placings from 16 starts for the term.
THIS WEEK
The Starlights return to Albion Park and the action heats up considerably with a bumper card set down for Saturday night.
The Sunshine Sprint takes centre stage and will be joined by the Peak of The Creek Final, the Darrell Alexander Trotting Championship Final, the Queen of The Creek and The Stellar Square.
Four heats of the Peak of The Creek will be held on Tuesday afternoon at Albion Park, with the unique pick-your-own barrier for the finalists to be conducted following the completion of the heats.
It will be a six-day racing week in Queensland with Redcliffe starting the week on Monday night with a nine-race card, followed by meetings on Wednesday night and Friday afternoon.
Albion Park will have a Thursday afternoon meeting to complement the Tuesday and Saturday fixtures.
