Dashman's harness examination - September 15

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

ROCKY OFF THE CANVAS

“Geez if that’s won, it has been a Herculean task,” commentator Anthony Collins said following the running of the second race at Marburg on Sunday.

Collins was referring to the effort of King Rocky, the Doug Hewitt trained and reined pacer that was on debut, producing an astonishing run that saw the gelding arrive in the last stride to score.

Starting as the race favourite from barrier three, Hewitt sent King Rocky forward looking for a prominent position, however with plenty still to learn, the gelding broke gait and looked to have ended any chance in the race.

Losing ground, the two-year-old was at least 60 metres off the leader when finally regaining stride.

Regaining contact with the field as they swung into the back stretch on the final occasion, Hewitt allowed King Rocky to chase and turning for home, the pair were looming strongly.

In the last stride the two-year-old Poster Boy gelding arrived for the most unlikely victory and one that could potentially be the most astonishing for the year in Queensland.

HUTCHINSON STARING DOWN NEW BENCHMARK

Having recently reached 250 career wins as a trainer, Jonah Hutchinson continued his run of success with a Saturday night winner at Albion Park.

Seven-year-old gelding Bide Our Time was able to overturn a win drought that had extended since May 2022, charging home in the closing stages to grab victory.

Driven by Paige Bevan, Bide Our Time was having just its fifth start since joining the Hutchinson and Bevan team, the 1.54.3 winning rate the best of the geldings eight career wins.

Earlier in the week, Hutchinson secured a winning double at Redcliffe with My Ultimate Cobber and Dipped In Silver both successful, with the stable also tasting success on Tuesday at The Creek.

Four-year-old mare Our Ultimate Luka was driven confidently by Hutchinson in a 2138 metre event, sent to the front and able to lead throughout for her seventh career victory.

With 52 wins this season, it has been a super effort by Hutchinson to sit fourth in the State Premiership, and with three full moths of the season remaining, his career high 57 wins set last season, looks set to be eclipsed.

CHLOE’S QUARTET

One of just five drivers to have ever driven five winners at a Queensland harness meeting when claiming the feat at Warwick last year, Chloe Butler secured her first bag of four winners last week at The Creek.

Butler had an afternoon to remember on Thursday, steering home four winners on the nine-race card, three of those for trainer (and father) Jack Butler and one for Stephen Cini.

It was the Cini trained Tactical Illusion that was the first winner of the afternoon, the three-year-old filly securing a deserved win after finishing as the runner-up at her previous three in succession.

The second win came with a relative newcomer to the Butler stable, with the three-year-old colt Exclusive Hustler angled away from the inside early and going on for a strong victory.

The colt is raced in the same interest as the emerging talent Birkirkara, while the last horse to defeat Leap To Fame in Queensland, District Attorney is another that has joined the Butler’s Logan Village stables.

Radiant Amber made it two wins in the week following her Monday night win, adding a seven-metre victory in the eighth race when charging home wide off the track.

It was the three-year-old filly Sporty Zara that completed the quartet for Chloe, defeating the stablemate Bail Denied, the filly securing the third win of her career.

THE POSTMAN CONTINUES TO DELIVER

With the applications for slots in the 2026 Ultimate Driver Championship closing on Friday afternoon, Nathan Dawson continued his domination of metropolitan racing in the past four weeks to remind potential slot teams of his abilities.

Dawson bagged another four winners on Saturday night, taking his stretch to four meetings where he has landed multiple winners on the card.

In the past four Saturday meetings, The Postman has five, two, four and four winners at the respective meetings and on Saturday only missed the placings once from eight drives.

With Dawson landing four wins, he was only able to claw back one in the metropolitan driver’s premiership, with the current leader –Pete McMullen- also having a good night with a winning treble.

Dawson was the team driver for the First Over Crush Syndicate in the inaugural Ultimate Drivers Championship, while McMullen partnered with the Unharnessed Hawks in 2025, with confirmation both have applied for slots in the 2026 Series.

Meanwhile leading drivers James Herbertson and Cam Hart each pushed their claim to slot holders for inclusion, Herbertson driving six winners at Melton on Saturday night, with Hart landing five at Menangle, including all four heats of the Carousel Series.

THIS WEEK

A ten-race card will start the week in Queensland at Albion Park on Tuesday, with The Creek also hosting meetings on Thursday afternoon and the Saturday metropolitan fixture.

Redcliffe will be back with a resurfaced track for three meetings, with eight races on Wednesday night followed by Friday and Sunday night meetings.