The Queensland harness racing winter carnival offers plenty, starting on May 23 and running until July 27.
The finale of the Australian Pacing Gold Grand Circuit, the Group 1 $200,540 UBET Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship is the biggest event on the calendar with the best horses from around Australasia vying for the honour of being crowned the Grand Circuit champion for the 2017/18 season.
More than $1 million in prizemoney is up for grabs.
A total of four Group 1 events will be staged while 14 Group races are scheduled catering for both pacers and trotters. Its 10 unmissable weeks of high quality harness racing action spread across two venues – Albion Park and Redcliffe.
To celebrate the final Grand Circuit race of the season, RQ and UBET are offering owners and trainers 100,000 more reasons to race their best in Queensland this winter.
That's in the form of:
A $50,000 bonus: If a horse can win both the Sunshine Sprint and Blacks A Fake (split $40,000 to owner and $10,000 to trainer);
$15,000 bonus: If a horse is placed in both the Sunshine Sprint and Blacks A Fake (or wins one and is placed in the other) – split $12,000 to owner and $3000 to trainer;
The Trainers Grand Slam Bonus $20,000: Trainer bonus if a trainer wins two or more of the following – Queensland Derby, Blacks A Fake Queens-land Championship, Queens-land Oaks, Queensland Trotters Cup.
International bid
THE focus shifts to the diagonal gait as Australia bursts back on to harness racing's European stage.
Victorian trotting mare Maori Time received an invite to Sweden's greatest race.
Maori Time will leave Australia's shores on May 9 to contest the May 27 Elitloppet at Stockholm's famed Solvalla race track.
Harness Racing Australia CEO Andrew Kelly said the invitation was a great result for connections and afficianados of the Victorian trotter.
Owner and breeder Fred Crews and trainer Brent Lilley have both long awaited the invitation, which was pursued soon after Maori Time produced an Australian record smashing 1:51.5 mile rate when saluting at Menangle on February 24.
The eight-year-old daughter of Pegasus Spur and the Sundon mare Sundonna has faced the starter on 66 occasions for 24 wins, 19 placings and $421,301, posting an impressive best rate of 1-51.5.
Owner/breeder Fred Crews got the best end of Sundonna with two other of her progeny, Happy Maori and Maori Law each winning 12 races and earning $89,365 and $86,669 respectively.
Nineteen years back, another Victorian Knight Pistol went to Scandanavia in the care of rising superstar Kerryn Gath.
The gelded and entirely pacing bred son of The Contender and the Lopez Hanover mare Pacealong annexed the Harley Davidson Classic in the course of his travels.
Knight Pistol retired with 66 wins from 181 starts in Australasia, having accumulated $612,203 in the process.
Both Maori Time and Knight Pistol were blessed with blistering speed, and it could be held that the pacing gene in both their bloodlines is responsible for this.
There is no doubt that there has been a quantum leap in the speed of the average trotter in the last decade, but where does it really come from.
Trotters AGM
IN our backyard, the Annual General meeting of the Queensland Square Trotters Association will be held in the Marburg Community Hall on Monday night at 7pm.
All those with an interest in the traditional trotter are invited to come along and bring suggestions for improving the Queensland profile with you.
Marburg Show
TRAINERS, don't forget that the Marburg Pacing Association will host a two hour segment at the Marburg Show on Saturday, May 12.
There will be exhibition races with all starters receiving appearance money. Winners and placegetters to receive vouchers.
Watch this space.
Charges thrown out
THE long running "match fixing” charges, which have hung over Warwick based former trainer Dayl March for 12 months, were thrown out by the Brisbane Magistrate's Court.
March, who was arrested by police in the first instance, had his training and driving licences suspended.
When those licences expir-ed , March applied for a stablehand's licence. This was also refused, placing the trainer in limbo.
Handy tips
SELECTIONS for Albion Park tonight.
R1: Quinella 1-2: Lancelot Bromac (N Dawson) and Geronimo Beau (T Dawson).
R2: E/w 4: Deano Robyn (G Dixon).
R3: Quinella 1-8: Bettabe Perfect (P McMullen) and Smooth Showgirl (V Langdon).
R4: Box trifecta 1-2-11: Ima Grumpy Possum (I Ross)-Village Witch (N McMullen)-Mafuta Vautin (D Graham).
R5: E/w 4: Feel The Faith (T Dixon).
R6: E/w 1: Ruato Bay (N McMullen).
R7: Quinella 9-11: Anychance (K Rasmussen) and Mattgregor (P McMullen).
R8: E/w 3: Fire One (G Dixon).
R9: Quinella 10-12: Soldier Of Fortune (I Ross) and Argyle Beack (P McMullen).
R10: Quinella 5-6: Mister Gunsen (T Dixon) and Our Dainty Lady (A Sanderson).
Honour board
The driver's side of the leader board remains volatile with Narissa McMullen topping for the first time this week with six wins. It's more widely spread on the trainer's list, headed by Chantal Turpin preparing three winners. Most pleasing is Playnserious (Gary Litzow, Headwin for Allan Godwin and Buddy Babcock for Nikki Chalk). Ipswich factor: 35/49.
Albion Park, April 13: Exceptional Mach (Pete McMullen for Chantal Turpin); Ina Great Place (Adam Richardson); Clintal Do (Nathan Dawson for Richard March); Our Major Day (Narthan Dawson for Richard March); Got The Goods (Trent Dawson).
Albion Park, April 14: Jackeroo Bromac (Chris Petroff for Trevor Lambourn); Village Witch (Narissa McMullen for Steve Cini); Playnserious (Gary Litzow); Rockonbye (Narissa McMullen for Steve Cini); Comigal (Gary Whitaker for Brett Cargill).
Marburg, April 14: Scott Tom (Nathan Dawson for Mick Benham); Headwin (pete Mcmullen for Allan Godwin); Lucky Ned Pepper (Adam Richardson); Argyle Beach (Pete McMullen for Chantal Turpin); Rowdys Ace (Narissa McMullen).
Albion Park, April 17: Amillion Promises (Adam Sanderson for Shannon Price); My Ajaye (Hayden Barnes for Josh Moore); Bet Im Special ( Danielle McMullen for Shannon Price); Subtle Delight (Gary Whitaker for Don Hancock); Tuesdays Fella (Nathan Dawson for Trevor Lambourn); Just Say Go (Trevor Lambourn for Jay Edmunds); Fifth Edition (Pete McMullen for Ron Sallis); Govinni (Darrell Graham for Al Barnes).
Redcliffe, April 18: Surface To Air (Justin Elkins for Greg Elkins); It's All Go (Justin Elkins for Matt Elkins); The Frame (Darrell Graham); Always A Jewel (Narissa McMullen for Shawn Grimsey); Armbros Lad (Danielle McMullen for Steve Coombs.
Redcliffe, April 19: Day Tourer (Matt Elkins for Alex Cain); Milly Bromac (Narissa McMullen for Steve Bunz); Proby One (Pete McMullen for Chantal Turpin); Bob Gage (Narissa McMullen for Ron Sallis); Swaffham Water (Kelli Dawson for John McMullen); Buddy Babcock (Nikki Chalk); Oyster Stride (Matt Elkins for Kay Crone).
by TROT TACTICS with Denis Smith