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Catch up on the week’s harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
Claiming the New South Wales Derby on Saturday night, the Grant Dixon-trained and driven Leap To Fame proved far superior to his rivals in pulling clear for an emphatic victory in the Blue Riband feature.
It was 28 years between Derbys – in NSW that is – for Dixon who scored one of his finest moments in the sport when Jeremy Lee claimed the 1994 edition at Harold Park.
Moving into gate six, Dixon sent Leap To Fame forward when the field was released and after initially finding the position outside the leader My Ultimate Byron, received cover when Heza Son Of Agun moved forward to sit parked with 2000m left to travel.
With no moves until the field approached the final quarter, Leap To Fame was travelling well and Dixon eased the colt three-wide as the field swung for the run to the judge.
Moving up strongly, the pair reached the front with 250 metres to travel and showing a sharp turn of foot, pulled clear and put the race beyond doubt in the twinkling of an eye.
Proving the strength of the domination, the winning margin of nearly 11 metres is the largest margin recorded by the winner of the New South Wales Derby in over 30 years.
Claiming a Victorian Derby with Colt Thirty One and a Queensland Derby with Majestic Mach, Dixon along with owners Solid Earth – managed by Kay Seymour – have now claimed all three Derbys along the Eastern Seaboard by adding the New South Wales feature to the trophy cabinet.
Unlike Majestic Mach and Colt Thirty One which were both bred by Solid Earth, Leap To Fame was purchased from the 2020 Australian Pacing Gold Sale in Sydney.
A bid of $47,500 was required to secure the son of super sire Bettors Delight, with his latest win taking his career earnings to just shy of $200,000.
Having progressed to the Final of the Derby after a dominant heat victory, the Dixon-trained colt was joined in the Group 1 feature by his stablemate and fellow heat winner Tims A Trooper.
Driven by Robbie Morris, the pair could only manage a midfield finish after being dealt a cruel blow at the barrier draw when forced to start from outside the front line.
While he may not be at the same elite level as his stablemate, Tims A Trooper did claim a Group 1 victory before Leap To Fame after securing the 2021 New South Wales Breeders Challenge.
Also a graduate of the 2020 APG Sydney sale after being knocked down for $17,000, the Seymours have displayed their nous in unearthing talent, having purchased just two horses from this sale.
Both are now Group 1 winners and have combined to exceed $350,000 in stakes thus far in their careers.
THE BAD
After a year-long battle with oesophageal cancer, well respected trainer Mal Charlton passed away at 58 years of age last week.
Still training right up until his passing, the likeable horseman even prepared two winners in his final week before he passed.
Proving to be adept at getting the best from troublesome horses and rejuvenating their careers, Charlton had great success over the years with horses that other trainers had passed on.
Jansson who has qualified for the postponed Jim McNeil Trotters Final was one such horse, with Charlton sorting out his issues and recording a dozen wins with the square-gaiter, his last just six days before Mal passed.
Another that was transformed under the guidance of Charlton was the wayward Jacks At The Beach, a pacer that had been stood down to trial on nine separate occasions for 15 trials in total before entering Charlton’s care.
Sorting the geldings’ issues, he would go on to claim 14 victories for Mal and his wife Toni.
With Marburg, Albion Park and Redcliffe all paying their respects to Charlton, both Marburg and Redcliffe held races in his honour over the weekend.
On Saturday night the Vale Mal Charlton QBRED Pace was held for NR50-60 performers where the Jack Butler-trained and Brendan Barnes driven Dangerzone proved far too classy for his rivals.
In paying his respects, Barnes wore the blue, white, and black silks of Charlton’s for his drive aboard Dangerzone.
Starting deep into the red, Barnes sent Dangerzone straight to the front and once in control the pair were never in danger, pulling clear to claim a winning margin of 22.4 metres over Awaywego.
It was a poignant win for Dangerzone, with Charlton having had a hand in the early education of the gelding that extended his win record to four wins in eight starts in claiming the first win of his three-year-old season.
The moment was not lost on Barnes, giving a winning salute and a look to the clouds as Dangerzone crossed the line for the effortless victory.
THE MILESTONE
Sometimes winning that first race can be the hardest to achieve.
For the seven-year-old gelding The Crom, a maiden-breaking win had proven to be elusive and after 74 starts in New South Wales and various trainer changes, the gelding was sent north to Queensland.
Having been shopped around through seven previous trainers, The Crom arrived with trainer Kay Crone in October last year.
Stepping out at Redcliffe in November for the first time for Crone, The Crom was a beaten favourite when finishing in fourth position.
A son of Abercrombie Dexter, the black gelding was also a beaten favourite second-up, this time finishing just a half-head in arrears of the winner.
Placed in four of 12 starts for Crone, 13 may be an unlucky number for some, but on Wednesday at Redcliffe, the milestone moment arrived for The Crom and proved anything but a luckless number when saluting at his 13th Queensland appearance.
Sliding into the one out and one back trail, driver Angus Garrard produced the gelding at the top of the straight and sprinting sharply the pair powered home over the top to claim the maiden win.
It was a good night for the Crone/Garrard combination, with the pair claiming a winning double on the night, having won earlier on the card with Dollarbill.
A great performer for the Crone family, Dollarbill has now won 16 races under Kay’s care, and nearly made it two wins in a week when only narrowly beaten at Marburg on Sunday.
With Kay just shy of 100 career training wins, the Crone family stable will likely be celebrating another milestone in the near future.
THE WILDCARD
Nicole Hanrahan claimed her first Saturday night training success when Crossed Legs scored in a mare’s qualifying pace at Redcliffe.
The cheekily named seven-year-old mare Crossed Legs is by Always A Virgin out of the Christian Cullen mare Layback Cullen which is a half-sister to arguably Queensland’s greatest ever race mare, Forever Gold.
Crossed Legs has been in good form this season with her latest victory taking her to two wins and two minor placings in her eight starts for the term.
Staring from gate one, the mare was soon shuffled to three back along the inside as Jewel Of Peak worked to the front and kept a solid tempo.
Driver Chloe Butler remained patient and at the 350m a gap presented and rather than waiting for the passing lane and a possible loss of momentum, Butler angled the mare to the outside.
Presenting three deep as the field swung for home, Crossed Legs had the best momentum and powered home over the top to claim the victory.
With a winning margin of just over three metres, it was just the third time Butler has driven Crossed Legs and the second time the pair have partnered for victory.
Always dabbling with a horse or two, Hanrahan is enjoying good success with Crossed Legs with the mare now claiming five wins under her care.
Major Grandeur has been Hanrahan’s biggest stakes earner while Treacles provided the most wins winning 12 races in a 12-year career that spanned 2001-2013 with wins at four tracks.
Crossed Legs has four wins at Redcliffe following her latest victory with her other victory at Albion Park when claiming a career best 1.56.0 mile rate.
THIS WEEK
Flooding has meant that Albion Park will continue to be out of action with all meetings this week already shifted from The Creek.
Redcliffe will host three meetings this week in Queensland with the Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday night fixture along with the Saturday night metropolitan meeting.
Marburg steps up to cover the load and will host three meetings for the week, with Thursday and Friday afternoon meetings being shifted to the 700-metre track.
The Sunday afternoon meeting originally programme for Marburg will still be held on March 13.
With Albion Park unavailable, the Team Teal Drivers invitation meeting set for March 12 has now been cancelled and participants are advised to check the meeting revisions.
