Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.
Albion Park will host a nine-race program on Friday, followed by another nine for Saturday’s metropolitan card.
The mare’s open pace should be a highlight of Saturday night, while the Junior Free For All shapes as an intriguing contest with just one last start winner engaged.
Country racing will head to Marburg on Sunday with eight races on the program.
FRIDAY FIND
Race four - Justrollingaround. Looms as a value play in a race where some will struggle at the distance.
SATURDAY SPECIAL
Race two - Charge Ahead. Building into his campaign, he capitalised last start at Redcliffe. Finds conditions to showcase his ability.
CLASSY RETURN
The Grant Dixon-trained Cool And Classy returned to racing on Tuesday at Redcliffe and made a statement with a dominant first-up victory.
Sent for a spell following victory in the Sunshine Stars series in November, the mare resumed in a standing start event.
Producing a track-record performance, the mare will be on the short back-up to contest a mare’s qualifying pace on Saturday.
Drawn gate five, Cool And Classy will be partnered by Trista Dixon on Saturday.
Grant Dixon will take the reins on Golden Shooz who finished third at her first run for the stable.
Seaside Glory is chasing three on end for trainer Ron Sallis following a tough win last start but has drawn wide in gate six.
The Narissa Elkins-owned, trained and driven Sweet Dior boasts a strong record since arriving in Queensland and appears the early leader and tempo setter from barrier two.
However, the Group 1-winning Cool And Classy might have them all running for second place.
The 13-time winner closing in on $500,000 in career earnings after just 23 starts.
DAISY TO TURN THE TABLES
A couple of in-form horses headline the mares open pace on Saturday night.
Iloveacalendergirl and Daisy Diana are set for their second head-to-head battle.
It was the Cristina Monte-trained Iloveacalendergirl that proved successful in the pair’s first clash on March 21.
She claimed a five-metre margin on that occasion after leading throughout from barrier three.
Daisy Diana started from gate six in that contest and was unable to reel in the leader through a 54.8 second closing half.
Daisy Diana has raced twice since that defeat.
The Chantal Turpin-trained Daisy Diana has recorded an unlucky fourth when beaten three metres and last start she won when able to lead throughout.
Iloveacalendergirl had three weeks between the defeat of Diasy Diana and her last start where she finished at the tail of the field, fading in the straight after leading.
They have drawn gates five and six, respectively.
Despite both being four years of age, it is Daisy Diana that boasts more race experience and will attempt to add an eighth Albion Park victory to her record.
While it looks a race in two, there are some talented mares capable of producing an upset.
The Chantal Turpin stable have three runners, with Sweet Mia starting from gate seven and Ima Queen Bee from 10.
They both boasting strong credentials.
Reason To Shine was luckless last start for driver Adam Sanderson and will need to overcome gate nine.
JUNIOR FREE FOR ALL UP FOR GRABS
This week’s Junior Free For All appears to be wide open and of the nine runners, there is just one last start winner.
Call To Order was impressive in victory last week in this same grade when fired off the arm by Adam Sanderson to lead throughout.
Running a career best 1.51.4 to score, the five-year-old recorded a 13th career victory.
However, Call To Order faces a tougher test this week from barrier six.
Trista Dixon will take the reins this week, with Grant Dixon to partner Whos Delight.
Whos Delight has been unplaced in the past four starts, including a sixth last week behind Call To Order.
Manila Playboy returned from a spell with a first-up third in the same race last week but will need to be at his best to overcome the outside front-line gate.
Ellis Street could be the big query runner.
The five-year-old is first-up from a break following a change of ownership and stable.
Now prepared by Donny Smith, the gelding has not raced since a heat of the Ultimate Driver Championship.
However, he has prepared for this with a Redcliffe trial.
A case could be made for any of the nine runners engaged in a wide-open contest.
ANOTHER OPEN TROT
A field of seven will line up in the open trot on Saturday and while the early market suggests Aldebaranstilinski will be the winner, recent patterns may suggest otherwise.
The past five open metropolitan trotting races have produce five different winners.
A total of three of those past five will line up this week, with the two absentees, Gus and Not As Promised.
The last race held under the same conditions as this week’s event, it was Aldebaranstilinski that was successful, with Angus Garrard to take the reins aboard the five-year-old.
Golden Sunset has been a model of consistency with placings at her past five in succession and was narrowly beaten last start by Mufasa Metro.
Zealous Spur defeated Golden Sunset two starts back and the enigmatic Hide And Seek brings a last third but will need to overcome his regular outside front line draw.
Love Gun has missed the target at his past three, but the runs have been better than the figures suggest and the return to mobile conditions can be the catalyst for improvement.
