Queensland harness racing wrap

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

THE GOOD

The BOTRA Queensland Young Drivers Championship is always keenly contested, and Saturday night saw the 2021 edition once again come down to the wire.

After the completion of five heats, the title was up for grabs with several winning chances heading into the last event, but it was Matt Elkins that was able to claim victory after finishing second aboard Bitcoin.

At the conclusion of the six heats, there had been six different young drivers all claim a victory to highlight how open the series was this year.

Consistency was the key and Elkins was able to take the prize with a victory in heat four aboard Miss Mia for trainer Peter Greig and second placings in heats three and five aboard Delightful Reason and Bitcoin, both for trainer Ron Sallis.

After contesting the series on five previous occasions, the 2021 edition will likely be the last time Elkins is able to compete.

Way back in 2016 was the first year that Elkins was an entrant in the series, and it was nearly a victory at his first attempt.

Winning two heats that year with victories aboard Major Montana and Sir Semper Fidelis, he ultimately fell four-and-a-half points shy of the winner Paul Diebert.

Elkins may have felt his chances of winning the series were past him, unable to win another heat over the next four years, however a late call-up in 2021 has proven the perfect tonic and he grabbed his chance with both hands.

Magical Matty ultimately went on to hold a six-point margin over second-placed Jonah Hutchinson, with Angus Garrard a further four points astern in third position.

The six heat winners throughout the 2021 series were Jonah Hutchinson, Zac Chappenden, Chloe Butler, Matt Elkins, Brendan Barnes and Taleah McMullen.

A big thank you must also go out to the trainers and owners that enter their horses in this series to allow all the young drivers the opportunity to compete.

Peter Greig has been a great supporter over a long period of time of this series and that was no different in 2021.

Greig was rewarded for his support, with three of the six heats claimed by horses that he trains, along with a pair of placings in heat two.

THE BAD

Spankem was set to have his first Queensland appearance on Saturday night in the Flashing Red Discretionary Handicap and the multiple Group 1 winner was a firm favourite to take the win.

However, the adage that there are no certainties in racing rang true in a terrible turn of luck at the start.

Right as the tapes were released, Lilac Flash started backing up and Spankem who had began well from his 20-metre back-mark was left looking for a way to avoid his stablemate.

Unfortunately for driver Kylie Rasmussen, despite her evasive attempts, the sulky wheels of the two runners collided.

The result was that both Kylie and Angus Garrard – who was driving Lilac Flash – were dislodged from their respective drives and the chances of both had expired less than 20 metres into the 2647-metre journey.

If there was any good to come out of the incident, neither horse took fright and both Kylie and Angus escaped relatively unscathed, albeit a little sore and nursing some bruising.

The incident also displayed the value of the track staff and starting attendants as Spankem was free at one stage and headed to the infield.

However, moving like a gazelle, Al Barnes was able to position himself perfectly and was able to grab hold of Spankem to halt his progress.

The Miracle Mile winner and Group 1 star will likely now contest this week’s Free For All following his first up outing that did not really eventuate.

THE MILESTONE

Off the back of the most successful season in his career, trainer Graham Dwyer is on track to break that figure as the half-way point of season 2021 approaches.

After finishing the extended 2019/20 season with 70 winners, Dwyer currently sits in fourth position in the Queensland rankings with 40 wins.

That number received a strong boost at Redcliffe last Wednesday, when Dwyer prepared a quartet of winners for the first time in his career.

The first winner of the night came in the opening race when Shes Miss Devine, driven by Nathan Dawson, powered home to claim the fifth win of her career, making it four wins from her eight starts this season.

Dwyer’s second win came in race three when Gottahaveahobbie with Brendan Barnes at the controls used the passing lane to claim her second win in four starts since joining the Dwyer stable.

Themidnightrambler, another recent addition to Dwyer’s Kingslodge stables, was the third leg of the evening, Nathan Dawson again the winning driver in an all-the-way victory.

Sent north from the stables of Bathurst’s Greg Rue, Themidnightrambler has now claimed four victories in six starts since arriving in the Sunshine State.

The final win of the quartet came in the final race of the night when Ima Chick Magnet broke through for the first win of his career when scoring in a two-year-old maiden event.

A son of Changeover, Ima Chick Magnet also picked up the $12,000 QBRED first win bonus and now heads to the heats of the Redcliffe Sales Series later this month.

The continued strength of results from the Kingslodge team has seen Dwyer currently sit in the top 20 trainers Australia-wide.

THE WILDCARD

Mark McNee, trainer of Lifes Black, was told in April 2020 that his talented pacer was finished, and that retirement was the best course of action.

Succumbing to a serious injury where the tendon had come away from the bone in a foreleg, it was suggested that the gelding be rehabilitated and be rehomed for a life after racing.

At that stage of his career, Lifes Black had won 12 races and was a Redcliffe track record holder, breaking one of the longest standing track records at Redcliffe.

In July 2019, Lifes Black carved out a 1.55.9 mile-rate for three-year-olds over the 1780-metre win, eclipsing the previous best of 1.56.2 which had been set by Corelli back in 2005.

Although time has since been bettered by Crunch Time, Lifes Black is still the holder of the 2280-metre stand start record for three-year-olds and a testament to his versatility.

That record was set just two weeks prior to his 1780-metre record when overcoming a 20-metre handicap in scoring a smart win, Hayden Barnes taking the drive on both occasions.

Fast forward to 2020 after receiving the bad news and taking time to digest the fate, McNee convinced owners Paul Galvin and Steve Mauger to attempt a return to the track.

In an intensive regime, Lifes Black had three months in a box with daily icing and a poultice applied to his leg.

After the first six weeks and two scans that showed good improvement, McNee was then able to start swimming as an addition to the daily icing and poulticing.

As time passed, Lifes Black was getting stronger and the prognosis was growing ever more positive, with monthly scans improving every month until vet Mark McGarry gave the clearance for the gelding to make a full return.

After countless hours in the rehabilitation of Lifes Black, the four-year-old returned to the track in late 2020 and after four unplaced runs, was sent for a spell.

Returning in March, the son of Bettors Delight defied the advice almost 12 months to the day of his original injury sustained in a Redcliffe race victory when scoring a comeback win.

On Sunday June 6, Lifes Black scored his second win of the season, when leading throughout over the 1780 metres at Redcliffe, the win also attracting a QBRED cash bonus.

With the injury in the past and Lifes Black back in the winner’s circle, what could lay ahead for the five-year-old?

A possible tilt at the Redcliffe Cup could be on the horizon or the Patrons Purse.

Following the long road to recovery, to win a Redcliffe feature for McNee, Galvin and Mauger, would be fair reward for the commitment and perseverance to get Lifes Black back on track.

THIS WEEK

Six race meetings will be held across the week in Queensland, starting with a strong 10-race card from Albion Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Redcliffe will host three of the six with meetings on Wednesday night, Thursday afternoon and Sunday night.

Complementing the Tuesday’s strong programme from headquarters are meetings on Friday night and Saturday night.

The Saturday night fixture has a pair of Ultimate Tools-sponsored events on the programme.

As has been the case with previous races carrying the Ultimate Tool sponsorship, there is a rug to the winning horse along with vouchers and cash on offer to the winning trainer.

Both races are programmed over the 1660-metre distance, for two-year-old and three-year-old pacers respectively.