Dashman's harness look ahead - August 22

Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.

Several horses will be looking to enhance their credentials for upcoming assignments this Saturday at Albion Park.

The Grant Dixon stable will have potentially two Eureka-bound pacers stepping out this week, with Call To Order and Fate Awaits contesting races two and seven, respectively.

GET ON

Saturday, Albion Park - race six, number six, Miss Idaho.

Unbeaten since joining the Pat Croghan barn, this mare has been in super form, winning three from three at 'The Creek'.

Her first two wins were from off-pace, while last start the four-year-old was able to dictate in front, showing that she has the versatility to overcome this small field.

DOES FATE AWAIT?

Prior to this year, no three-year-old had won The Rising Sun.

Fate Awaits was able to dispel the hoodoo with victory in the closing stages, providing a local victory in one of Queensland’s most keenly sought Group 1 features.

With just two editions of The Eureka staged to date, both have been won by four-year-olds.

However, like The Rising Sun, could 2025 be the year?

Like The Rising Sun, could it be Fate Awaits that provides the breakthrough?

The Grant Dixon-trained three-year-old will be out to bolster his Eureka credentials this Saturday night in race seven at Albion Park. 

The star colt makes his first appearance since finishing in third place behind Rubira in the Queensland Derby.

With Kevin and Kay Seymour owning a slot in the $2 million feature, Fate Awaits is likely to be their runner for the September 6 race, with Saturday providing a key lead-up.

Final Deadline looks the only horse capable of testing Fate Awaits on Saturday.

The Shannon Price-trained gelding is still chasing his first Australian victory.

Arriving in Queensland in June, Final Deadline was runner-up to Hesitate in the Derby qualifier before finishing fifth to Rubira in the Derby.

Again, second to Fernco Nel last start, the performance was a sectional standout, with the Adam Sanderson-driven gelding running a 54.64 second last 800 metres off the track.

DIXON’S EUREKA DOUBLE SHOT

If Fate Awaits is selected for The Eureka, the Grant Dixon stable with potentially have two runners in the Menangle main event.

Call To Order won The Hayden earlier this year to gain the Racing Queensland slot for The Eureka.

And, this Saturday night, the four-year-old will look to round out his preparation with victory in the second race on the card at Albion Park. 

To be driven by Trista Dixon, Call To Order faces a potentially awkward gate, starting from barrier four, with the gelding not known for possessing early speed.

Hitting the line strongly in last week’s Triad Final behind Attachment, two weeks’ back, the gelding went to the line searching for openings that did not arrive in a luckless performance.

To round out his Eureka preparation with victory, Call To Order will need to overcome four last-start winners that are engaged, along with Group 1-winner Bronski Zulu who faces a tough task from the second line.

REGAZZO READY

Race four on the card from Albion Park on Saturday night is a standing start event and while it shapes as a competitive contest, Frankie Ferocious is the only last start winner engaged.

That win came under the same conditions that the five-year-old will face this week.

However, the Ben Crosby-trained gelding will start from the 10-metre handicap after winning from 20 metres back last start.

Defeating Miracle Moose and Tims A Trooper in that contest, both of those Grant Dixon-trained runners will back-up in this week’s race.

Regazzo Di Tilly has been well supported in early markets to firm into pre-post favouritism.

The Daren Garrard-trained five-year-old will have his third start from behind the tapes.

An eye-catching performance in the Flashing Red Handicap was followed by a luckless set up in the Redcliffe Cup where Regazzo Di Tilly drew the inside second row of the front line.

His next two runs have been impressive, posting a personal best rate over the mile and then the most recent fourth, the gelding set the tempo after pressing to the front soon after the start.

Keeping the pace on throughout, Regazzo Di Tilly missed a placing, but he was under two metres from the winner, Sure Thing Captain.

MISS IDAHO FLYING 

Unbeaten in three starts since arriving in Queensland to join the Pat Croghan stable, Miss Idaho will be looking to continue her winning streak when she contests the sixth race on Saturday.

Lining up in a small field of seven, Pete McMullen will again take the reins behind the four-year-old, with the pair to start wide on the front line from gate six.

Working home off speed to win in mid-week company recently, the mare was sent straight to the front from barrier three and was never headed to score a mare’s qualifier.

Miss Idaho's biggest dangers this week appear to be Sweet Addition from gate one for Chantal Turpin and Tom Callaghan, with Sergios Rocket in gate two likely to find a good position in the run.