Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
ITS ALL HART
Ricky Hart took four horses to last Friday’s Albion Park meeting, with three of those lining up in the same race.
With just a small team in work, Hart was able to record a winning trifecta, with Major Generaljujon finishing first, Willroby second and Doolittle Doozzie in third.
Grant Dixon was handed the reins aboard the race favourite Major Generaljujon and the veteran pacer was positioned in the one-by-one trail by him after starting from barrier four.
Angled into space at the right time, the gelding had the speed to arrive for a 26th career victory, with five of those under the car of Hart.
Willroby and Jack Chapple grabbed second.
Brendan Barnes partnered with Doolittle Doozzie with the pair holding on for third place after a tough run sitting parked.
It was the 15th winner this season from the Hart stable, which is second only to the 22 winners recorded in the 2024 season for most in a term.
Prospectus, who finished unplaced on Friday, is the leading horse for Hart this season by stakes.
Prospectus has recorded four wins and 15 placings, while Major Generaljujon with his five wins heads the team by victories.
The other highlight for the season was recorded in November after reaching 100 career training victories when Prospectus was successful at Albion Park.
DUX WINNERS CONTINUE
While the Mark Dux stable does not have the metropolitan depth it once had, the winners continue to flow at the mid-week meetings.
The Dux stable is experiencing its most prolific season in the past eight years for wins.
Dux produced another two winners last week when Monopollie and Yankee C J were successful on Tuesday and Friday, respectively.
The win by Yankee C J on Friday was the 40th for the season for the Dux team.
The veteran gelding claimed his fourth victory which complemented the eight placings for the term.
Sent forward from a wide gate by Angus Garrard, the 11-year-old found the front and was able to repel the challengers to stop the clock in 1.53.5 for the mile.
That established a new career best.
The veteran pacer is owned by Dux’s daughter Madi and husband Reece Maguire, with the stable’s other winner for the week also boasting a connection to the Riverina-based couple.
Monopollie is named after the pair’s son Ollie.
The three-year-old pacer claimed a fifth career victory from 26 starts.
The star of the Dux stable for 2025 has been six-year-old mare Lulu Mae.
A winner of nine races, three at metropolitan level, the daughter of Sweet Lou has also registered six placings.
Lulu Mae has taken a career best mark of 1.51.4 and surpassed $100,000 in stakes in a stellar season.
DIXON DOMINATES
After training a quartet of winners on Saturday night at Albion Park, Grant Dixon will take a three-win lead in the metropolitan trainer’s premiership heading into the last meeting this Saturday.
Call To Order led home a Dixon-trained trifecta in the opening race of the night.
The four-year-old scored an emphatic victory over stablemates Risk Taker and Miracle Moose.
Caught wide in the early stages from outside the front line, Dixon sent the gelding forward to find the front and once in control pulled clear in the latter stages to post a winning margin.
Captain Hammerhead was too strong in the free for all race.
The five-year-old also overcame gate seven with a gritty effort parked outside the leader.
With a slick last quarter of 26.5 seconds, the stallion recorded a 15th career victory, with two of those posted since joining the Dixon stable earlier this year.
We Always Have Faith returned to winning form with a tough win and provided Dixon with a driving treble on the night.
A fourth training victory for the night was inevitable leading into the last race, with all seven runners prepared by Dixon.
It was Call Kelly that produced the victory, darting through on the passing lane with Trista Dixon taking the reins to defeat Robin Jujon and Adam Sanderson while My Ultimate Zander and Jack Chapple had to settle for third.
SATURDAY SNIPPETS
Cheerstolou bounced back to take his Albion Park record to four wins in five starts since arriving in Queensland with Donny Smith.
Partnered by Layne Dwyer, the five-year-old rated 1.53.2 for the mile after being sent around the field soon after the start from a second line barrier to take control.
Filly Perfectly Quirky claimed the mare’s qualifying pace for Shannon Price and Adam Sanderson as she arrived in the last stride to record her fifth win this season.
The victory took Sanderson to 98 winners for the term with six meetings remaining to reach a century of winners for a fourth time.
Chantal Turpin kept her chances of another metropolitan trainer’s title alive as she secured a double thanks to wins from Ima Queen Bee and Rakasandy.
Both Turpin's winners were driven by her husband Pete McMullen, who has wrapped up the driver’s title.
Turpin is three wins adrift of Grant Dixon heading into the final meeting.
THIS WEEK
Christmas Day this Thursday brings a different racing week in Queensland with four meetings for the week.
Albion Park will host a nine-race card on Tuesday before the final metropolitan meeting for 2025 wraps up the season on Saturday night, where 10 races will be decided.
Redcliffe host the remaining two meetings with a Wednesday night fixture and another on Friday night.
