Queensland harness racing wrap

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

THE GOOD

My Ultimate Levi scored a career highlight victory on Saturday night when claiming the Australian Pacing Gold Brisbane Sales Final.

With an impressive honour roll in the short few years the race has been in existence, My Ultimate Levi will join the likes of Expensive Ego and Muscle Factory as winners of the Group 1 event.

With all the attention on the race favourite Cat King Cole from gate one, Nathan Dawson was content to drive for some luck by positioning his charge three-pegs.

An opening quarter of 26.6 seconds was brutally quick for the juveniles, possibly even a sectional record for two-year-olds at Albion Park.

Dawson stuck to the inside until approaching the home-turn when Indy Jewel, who was behind the leader, began to yield ground.

Finding the space to angle one-off, Dawson advanced before darting back to the passing lane where My Ultimate Levi was able to accelerate powerfully to arrive for the victory.

Trained by Jarrod Alchin and owned by Tumby Park Pty Ltd, the training and owning combination has proven to be a successful union.

The win of My Ultimate Levi is the second Group 1 for the season for the Alchin/Tumby team, joining his stablemate My Ultimate Byron, who was successful in the Australian Pacing Gold Bullion Series in Sydney.

Bred by Lindsay and Mary Vagg, My Ultimate Levi is the first Australian Group 1 winner for Betting Line.

A son of the siring superstar Bettors Delight, Betting Line’s oldest progeny are two-year-olds, his mating with the mare Victree Bonita producing My Ultimate Levi.

Purchased for $42,500 at the 2020 Brisbane APG Sale, Saturday’s victory has now taken his prizemoney over $70,000.

Tumby Park has been the second biggest purchaser through the Australian Pacing Gold Sales in the past three years, with the quality of their stock repaying the faith on the racetrack.

A successful pattern has also emerged, with Rickie Alchin doing the early education of the yearlings purchased before they move on to brother Jarrod for the finishing touches and race preparations.

Despite going $2,500 over the limit, they set to purchase My Ultimate Levi at the 2020 Sale, and that extra raise of the arm to secure the colt (now gelded) was money well spent.

THE BAD

Our Uncle Sam has been a wonderful horse over to the Frisby family over several seasons and on Saturday night he bounced back to winning form at Albion Park.

It can never be fruitful to dwell on ‘what if’ moments however, if the sliding doors presented differently, the record of Our Uncle Sam could be markedly altered.

In a period that stretched from December 2018 through to February 2020, Our Uncle Sam finished runner-up in a string of top line races in Victoria and New South Wales.

Finishing second in two Hunter Cups, an Inter Dominion, a Shepparton Gold Cup, and a Len Smith Mile are great achievements, however improving one place in each is the difference in around $700,00 in stakes.

Lining up on Saturday night at The Creek, Our Uncle Sam was looking to score his first win of the season in 2021 and while he has had a super career, Albion Park has not been one of his favourite hunting grounds.

Heading into his latest assignment, Our Uncle Sam’s record at Albion Park was 23: 2-2-2, with a drought of victories at the Breakfast Creek track dating back to the Lucky Creed Open back in June of 2018.

However, the winning rains arrived with Shane Graham bringing the seven-year-old with a well-timed run to arrive for victory in the closing strides.

The win was the 23rd success for the gelded son of Sportswriter and made for a successful week for trainer Chris Frisby.

Our Uncle Les, the full brother of Sam that made his debut at Albion Park back in July, scored his first career victory at Bathurst on Wednesday night at career start number three.

He may have taken one more start than his brother did to break through, but perhaps the sliding doors will open his way.

THE MILESTONE

In just his second full season of race driving, Angus Garrard has again broken the century mark in bringing up 100 driving wins for the season.

Driving the Steven Furey-trained Allmighty Max at Redcliffe, Garrard was able to sum up the race perfectly, finding the early lead before opting for the trail.

Settled in behind the leader, as the field swung for the run to the judge, the leader drifted up the track with Allmighty Max poised and ready to pounce.

Such was the available space upon straightening, Angus did not even have to use the passing lane to scoot through to take the victory.

Season win 100 was career win 287 for Garrard, with the young reinsman in a great position to better his tally of last season when steering home 125 winners in the extended season.

In bringing up the century, Garrard became the 12th driver Australia-wide to reach triple figures in the sulky and the third in Queensland behind Pete McMullen and Nathan Dawson.

It has been a consistent season throughout for Garrard with his first winner of the year coming on January 2 with Sir Fahrenheit, and the winners have been ticking over constantly ever since.

With a lead of 37 wins over the injury sidelined Taleah McMullen, the current strike rate of winners will see Angus claim his second successive Queensland Concession Drivers Title.

THE WILDCARD

Arriving in Queensland back in February, the trotting mare Majestic Speed joined the stables of Shawn Grimsey as a 42-start maiden.

The six-year-old daughter of Majestic Son had raced in three states with a win in Victoria and New South Wales proving elusive.

The mare’s first start for Grimsey was at Albion Park on March 5 when returning a pleasing third placing when finishing three metres from the above-average Hello Jolene Jolene.

Placed just once at her next 10 starts, it would be at her 12th start in the Sunshine State that Majestic Speed would breakthrough for a deserved maiden-breaking win.

Partnered by Shane Graham for that victory, the mare has taken that wining confidence with her next eleven starts seeing her finish worse than fourth on just one occasion.

That stretch has included three wins and a further three placings, taking her record under the care of Grimsey to 23: 4-3-2 and converting to almost $1,000 per appearance with over $22,000 in earnings.

Shane Graham has proven a good match for Majestic Speed, taking the reins at all four of her victories.

The latest win at Albion Park on Friday night was also a milestone moment for Graham, bringing up 100 wins for the season, the 14th century season for the 2014/15 Australian Champion.

THIS WEEK

Another week with six successive race meetings in Queensland starting with a Monday night fixture at Redcliffe.

There will be three meetings from The Triangle with the Monday night fixture complementing the Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon timeslots.

Racing from The Creek will be Tuesday afternoon, Friday night and then the Saturday night Metropolitan fixture.

Tuesday afternoon will see the third heat of the three-year-old Springboard Series for square gaiters.

Hurrikane Spirit has claimed both heats thus far and will be out to maintain a perfect record in the Series, the latest victory when setting a record for three-year-old geldings over the 1628-metre standing start course.

Participants should also be reminded to ensure they are aware of the latest New South Wales border restrictions which can be found here.