Queensland harness racing wrap

Catch up on the week’s harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.

THE GOOD

The Rising Sun may only be a new event on the Queensland and Australian calendar, but the Gemma Hewitt trained Kashed Up (For A Reason) has become the first horse to secure a start in both editions.

Securing a wildcard to the 2021 edition as a three-year-old, the now four-year-old gained exemption to the 2022 renewal courtesy of victory in the Queensland Sun.

Queensland’s newest Group race, the Queensland Sun was held on Saturday night, conditions replicating the Rising Sun for three and four-year-old pacers, however restricted to horses trained by Queensland based conditioners.

Hewitt headed North to the Sunshine State in 2021 with a small team with no fixed plans other than to see how they would perform through the Winter Carnival, avoiding the cold winters of Central West New South Wales.

Deciding to extend her stay, Hewitt trains a small team, headlined by Kashed Up, the gelding that she also bred and owns.

With Brendan Barnes taking the reins, the pair blasted out of the mobile to find the front easily, setting up a very steady lead time of 37 seconds.

Taking a trail when Slip The Hundy improved around the field at the 1200-metre point, Barnes gave Kashed Up the perfect breather, the gelding looking to have plenty to offer as the field approached the home turn.

Finding space and still with momentum, Kashed Up was angled into the clear and was able to claim victory by just under two metres and stamp his ticket to consecutive Rising Suns.

KASHED UP REPLAY

Big Wheels, trained and driven by Chantal Turpin charged home in the closing stags after being snookered on the poles to grab second place, the effort enough to convince the selection panel of a spot in this Saturday’s big Group 1.

Tims A Trooper held on for 3rd placing and has been installed as the emergency for the Rising Sun, joining his stablemate Leap To Fame in the race.

In securing his place in the Rising Sun, it provided a great presentation for the Queensland Sun, with a huge contingent on hand to help Gemma celebrate her biggest race success since making the decision to stay in Queensland.

Joined by her parents Bern and Cath Hewitt, brothers Jason and Doug and plenty of other family and friends, many from New South Wales, it was a special photo following the presentation of the trophy.

It all shapes a bragging rights moment for the upcoming Rising Sun, with Kashed Up now squaring off against Ripp, trained by Bern and to be driven by Doug.

THE BAD

It was a tough night for favourite backers on Saturday at Albion Park, with just three races won by the market leaders across the big eleven race card.

Jeradas Delight (Bettor’s Delight), Ronaldo (Alta Christiano) and Spirit of St Louis (Sweet Lou) were the three favourites to claim victory.

Of the beaten that were heavily supported, Jewel Melody and Global Flight were both defeated at an odds-on quote, with Manila Playboy, Tommy Lincoln, Jenden Strike and Jilliby Kung Fu all defeated.

Jewel Melody, already a two-time Group 1 winner, never looked like threatening in the Wayne Wilson Paleface Adios Classic after showing no early hustle and then even when hitting the front turning for home was vulnerable.

Beaten by bad luck in the Redcliffe Sales Series Final last start, Hold On To Ya Bling (Bling It On) gained some redemption by sweeping straight by Jewel Melody to score a stylish victory and add another Group victory for the Queensland bound stallion Bling It On.

Jilliby Kung Fu was looking to remain undefeated in his comeback, claiming both wins since resuming from over two years off the racing scene.

Finding the front early, driver Luke McCarthy opted for cover as the Jason Grimson trained It Aint The Money (Lis Mara) powered on to take control after an opening quarter in 26.7.

Dictating thereafter at a high tempo with quarters in 29.5, 28.2 before closing it out with a 28.3 final split, It Aint The Money held off a fast finishing Make Mine Memphis who was charging home to get within a half-head of victory.

Jilliby Kung Fu could not replicate his first and second-up efforts, finishing six-metres in arrears of the winner in fifth place.

Global Flight was also defeated when looking to maintain an unbeaten Albion Park streak, going under in the second-round heats of the DJA Trotters Series.

Having claimed all three starts since crossing the Tasman, the Narissa McMullen trained, and driven gelding made a costly error and had to settle for seventh placing behind Riley Moment (Muscle Mass).

The Majestic Son was luckily able to rely on his first-round victory in the DJA to secure enough points to progress to this Saturday’s G1 Final.

Manila Playboy was well-supported to claim the Queensland Sun, however the Shane Fraser trained gelding could only manage 6th placing behind Kashed Up after doing some work in the run.

The dual Group 1 winner may have missed automatic entry for the Rising Sun, however his performances this campaign was enough to claim a place in the field.

For complete Albion Park race results, click here.

THE MILESTONE

There are four horses in the 2022 Season that have been able to put together five successive wins at Redcliffe together- Abercrombie Tab (Art Major), Maywyn A Jug Ortwo (We Will See), Schooby (Shoobees Place) and the latest to join the club is Johnrod (Sportswriter).

Matt Elkins has been closely linked with three on that list (Schooby the exception) and was in control of the reins aboard Johnrod on Wednesday night when the Tayla Gillespie trained pacer made it five in succession.

It was a milestone moment as the win aboard Johnrod was also the 600th career driving victory for Elkins who is on track for his best season in the bike.

Claiming 79 wins in the 2021 Season, Elkins moved equal with that number when completing a driving double on the same night at Redcliffe when steering Moonlight Butcher (P B Bullville) to victory for trainer Dan Russell.

Still with six months of the season left to run, Elkins benchmark was the 2018/19 season when piloting 110 winners at an 11% strike-rate, his 2022 strike rate is currently sitting at 15%.

Driving the last three wins aboard Abercrombie Tab in his streak, Magical Matty was in the seat for all five in the streak of Maywyn A Jug Ortwo and Johnrod.

It has been a super season for Johnrod, winning 8 and placing in 7 of his 17 starts for the term with the six-year-old moving to equal second for Tayla Gillespie with his 11 wins under her care.

Elkins has been in the bike for 7 of the 8 wins recorded by Johnrod for the season, the other claimed when Nathan Dawson took the reins.

Holding a seven-win bragging rights buffer over partner Narissa McMullen, Elkins sit fourth in the State Drivers Premiership, 13 wins adrift of third place Angus Garrard.

THE WILDCARD

A regular in recent years over the big weeks of the Queensland Carnival, Brad Hewitt walked away with the driving honours at The Creek on Saturday night courtesy of a driving treble.

Starting the night in the best way possible, the New South Welshman took the reins aboard the David Hewitt trained Rockin Marty (Pet Rock), bringing the gelding with a well-timed run to score.

Charging home in last year’s Blacks A Fake to grab third, the six-year-old has won just once in the twelve-months since that effort, claiming the Wagga Cup consolation in April.

Settling in the running line from gate 10, Hewitt gained the track into the race on the back of Major Jellis, before angling wider and sprinting hard to claim victory in a slick 1.52.4.

The second leg of the driving treble came just one race later with Triple Four (American Ideal), a pacer that Hewitt also trains, overcoming gate 7 to score a dominant victory.

Spearing off the arm, Hewitt had the four-year-old in front before the first turn of the 2138-metere event and from there never looked in danger, pulling clear to claim a 10-metre winning margin.

A classy winner of both starts this season, the son of American Ideal has now won five races for Hewitt in seven starts and could be a force in the Constellations Carnival.

The final leg of the driving treble was also a training double for the man known as Hollywood, taking Ronaldo (Alta Christiano) to an all the way victory.

Making the most of gate 1, Hewitt burrowed through to protect the inside running and after a steady first quarter, made the task all the more difficult for the chasers with a 31.3 second quarter.

A five-year-old son of Alta Christiano, the well-named Ronaldo franked his performance the start prior where he sat outside the leader in a track record performance at Young.

It was a perfect three from three for Hollywood, putting his name up in lights.

For complete Albion Park race results, click here.

THIS WEEK

The build-up has been insatiable and finally the second edition of The Rising Sun is upon us and will headline a huge week in Queensland.

There will be seven race meetings across the week, starting on Monday at Redcliffe and finishing Sunday at Marburg.

Redcliffe will host three meetings, the regular Wednesday and Thursday timeslots accompanied by the Monday night fixture.

Albion Park will have three meetings for the week, ten races on the Tuesday card followed by a Friday afternoon meeting and then the Constellations Carnival steps up another notch with a bumper night.

Group raced complementing The Rising Sun will be the Group 3 Consolation, the Group 1 DJA Trotting Championships Final, the Group 3 Fleur De Lil Ladyship Stakes and the Group 3 Mr Feelgood Open.

Marburg enters the Constellations Carnival for the first time this year and Sunday’s card will see the inaugural running of The Western Star, restricted to horses trained by a Queensland trainer.

The 2022 NAIDOC Week celebrations will also be on the card, with a trophy and rug race as Racing Queensland continues its ongoing commitment to strengthening its relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

by Darren Clayton, for Racing Queensland