Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
LEAP TO FAME
“Stand up ladies and gentlemen and applaud the perfect pacer.”
That was the statement of commentator Aaron White as Leap To Fame crossed the line for a second consecutive win in The Race at Cambridge on Friday night.
It was arguably the greatest of his 68 career wins.
He was forced to work four-wide in the early stages as Grant Dixon drove hard to stay in front of Swayzee who had been slowly away.
Captains Knock held the early lead before handing over to Kingman, who had begun quickly from outside the front line.
Leap To Fame eventually found the position outside the leader.
Turning down the back straight on the final occasion, Dixon started to apply pressure to the leader and as the third quarter appeared in 27.5 seconds, Leap To Fame had forced his way to a narrow lead.
With Kingman unable to respond, Dixon urged his champion to make the effort and the Hall of Famer responded and pulled clear to score dominantly over Akuta.
Swayzee weaved a passage to grab third.
The moment and scale of effort from Leap To Fame was not lost on a normally reserved Dixon who gave a rare wave of the whip as they crossed the finish line.
Securing an eighth win for the season, Leap To Fame surpassed $1 million in stakes for a fourth successive year, while also taking his career earning beyond $6 million.
It was a mixed night for fellow Queenslanders Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen.
The Janitor finished unplaced behind Leap To Fame after making an error in the score up.
Chasing to catch the mobile at the start, The Janitor's run was enormous to finish in fifth place.
Meanwhile, Gus was brave in finishing third in The Trot.
For Gus, the wide gate and working in the run proved too much advantage to be given to trotting superstar Keayang Zahara.
ARRIVE WINS FIRST-UP
Racing for the first time this season, four-year-old mare Arrive showed her class with a swooping win in a qualifying pace on Saturday night at Albion Park.
The only mare in the race, driver Pete McMullen eased the last start Group 1-winner from the outside front line gate to settle near the rear soon after the start.
Strikem set the tempo after finding the front for Shane Graham and after a steady 30.1 second split, the chances looked forlorn for those back in the pack.
McMullen made his move with 600 metres remaining, easing three-wide before angling four-wide approaching the final turn.
Arrive last raced in August last year when successful in the Group 1 QBRED Triad.
Arrive let down powerfully and reeled in the leader in the closing stages and secured an impressive first-up victory.
A daughter of the six-time Queensland Broodmare of the Year Washington Lass, it was the 10th career victory for the four-year-old mare.
The fifth foal of Washington Lass, Arrive’s victory saw her join her four older siblings as winners of over $200,000 career earnings.
Arrive also joins Attachment and Barsby as 2026 winners of their dam.
SATURDAY SNIPPETS
Post Painter proved too strong in the open mare’s pace on Saturday night at Albion Park.
Post Painter sat parked and held on for victory in 1.51.2 for Gemma Hewitt and Brendan Barnes.
It was a good week for the mare’s owner Luke Sutherland.
The 35-year-old Sutherland drove his first winner earlier in the week at Mildura.
Meanwhile, Jayson Finnis claimed his 550th driving victory when partnering with Tilly Jayne to victory on Saturday night.
Trained by Alyce Finnis, who recorded her 100th training win in March, the win doubled as a first metropolitan driving success for Jayson since the couple relocated to Queensland.
Also on the program, Speak The Truth and Tims A Trooper could not be split as they dead heated their race.
THIS WEEK
There will be a different racing week in the Sunshine State as Redcliffe will host a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
Albion Park usually race on Tuesday but are undergoing resurfacing works.
With the work starting immediately following the last race on Saturday night, racing will return to Albion Park in time for the Friday night program ahead of the Saturday metropolitan fixture.
Marburg will round out the week with a Sunday afternoon meeting.
