Catch up on the week’s harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
Group 1 success is what every owner, trainer or driver strives for.
On Saturday night at Albion Park, Narissa McMullen achieved the triple-treat feat after Global Flight (pictured) claimed the Darrel Alexander Memorial Trotting Championship.
It was a momentous occasion. McMullen scooped the lot, as owner, trainer and driver, of Global Flight, to break the Group 1 maiden on all three fronts.
Purchasing Global Flight out of the South Island of New Zealand, the gelding arrived in May as the winner of four races.
“I never dreamed that when I bought this guy that he’d be in a Group 1 let alone win it,” McMullen said after the race.
McMullen has doubled the win tally of Global Flight in a short time, and he could possibly be unbeaten in Australia if not for an error in the second heat of the DJA Series.
Winning his first two starts after arriving in Queensland, the six-year-old went into the first round of the DJA as the favourite to win his heat.
Looking to be in an awkward position at the 400-metre point, snookered away back in the pack, McMullen was able to find space and charge home strongly and stretch the record of Global Flight to three from three.
In the second round, he was looming ominously into the contest and right when he was about to get into the open, he went off-stride, ending his chances.
In Saturday night’s Final, the Majestic Son-gelding was able to fly the start and within 100-metres was in front and, from there, was never headed.
Rating the gelding out in front, the pace was kept solid through the 2647-metre journey, with the first quarter laid out in 29.5, before it eased slightly to a 30.5 second split.
Maintaining that tempo to precision, Global Flight ran through the third split in 29.4, finishing off in 29.6 to claim victory by 1.2-metres.
Majestic Harry, for trainer Darrel Graham and driver Jack Callaghan, pursued Global Flight, but came up short. Majestic Harry finished second, while the Doug Lee-trained and Leonard Cain-driven veteran Justabitnoisy, contesting his fourth DJA Final, was third.
“This is what you dream of every year, the Winter Carnival comes around and you want your horses to be a part of it so to get this win is very special,” McMullen said.
It was nearly a stable double for McMullen, with Slip The Hundy almost holding on for victory in the Group 3 Rising Sun Consolation.
Sent forward to find the front, the four-year-old was leading turning for home, however, could not repel the closing speed of Bettor Isolate who had the sit on his back throughout.
Season 2022 is ticking over nicely for McMullen, having trained 32 winners so far this season, with an impressive strike rate of 26%, and striking at 17% in the sulky with 77 winners.
THE BAD
After securing the lead heading out of the first turn in the Rising Sun and then dictating the tempo with a steady 37.1 second lead time, it was all bad news for those hoping Ladies In Red would be vulnerable first up.
The Emma Stewart-trained mare confirmed her star status as she blasted her rivals off the Albion Park circuit in the closing stages of Saturday’s 2138-metre contest. Mares have now claimed the first two editions of the Rising Sun.
It was a perfect steer by Nathan Jack to have the star mare cross to the pegs early without burning too much petrol in the first 500 metres.
Then dictating to his rivals by running the first half of the last mile in 59.4 seconds, and it became even worse for the chasing pack.
With Better Eclipse able to get around to sit outside Ladies In Red with 800 metres to travel, that left the three-year-old Leap To Fame exposed three wide, when the speed was being applied.
That third split was laid out in 28.1 seconds, and from there Ladies In Red never looked in any danger of being overhauled.
Better Eclipse moved alongside the mare with 250 metres left to travel, however, as soon as Jack shook the reins, Ladies In Red responded and kicked away, to cruise down the stretch in 27.3 to claim the Rising Sun by 11.2 metres.
The Greg Sugars-driven Better Eclipse fought hard for second, with Leap To Fame chasing bravely to hold on for third for trainer/driver Grant Dixon.
Stopping the clock in a mile rate of 1.54.3, Ladies In Red set a class record for four-year-old mares, eclipsing a record that has stood for seven years.
Sweet Molly Oshea set the record of 1.54.7 when claiming the 2015 4YO Championship for trainer Blake Hewitt, She was driven by the late Gavin Lang.
Claiming the victory, Ladies In Red stretched her career earnings to $789,000 and boasts the amazing record of 19 wins from 23 starts. It also elevated trainer Emma Stewart to 98 Group 1 wins.
While there was some hope that Queensland fans would get to see the star mare again during the Constellations Carnival, it looks likely that she will head home to Victoria.
THE MILESTONE
Racing Queensland has once again celebrated NAIDOC week, continuing its ongoing commitment to strengthening its relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
On Sunday at Marburg, the NAIDOC Celebration Pace was complemented with several celebrations, including music and dance performances and an acknowledgement to country.
It was the Darren McCall-trained, and Pete McMullen driven, The Maharani that proved too fast and too tough for her rivals with an eight-metre victory in the NAIDOC Celebration Pace on Sunday.
Driven hard to hold the lead from gate one, The Maharani (pictured) was then pressured in the early stages by Studleigh Mark but borrowed through to protect the lead.
Then in the middle stages, Im Loki moved forward and applied pressure to the leader.
However, The Maharani dug deep to fight off the challengers and pull clear for victory and equal the mare’s class record for the 1850-metre journey with a 1.56.8 rate.
It was an all-McMullen driving trifecta.
Narissa finished second on Studleigh Mark, while Taleah drove Melton Insulted into third. Both horses were trained by their father John McMullen.
Four races later and the McMullen siblings secured another family trifecta. This time it was Dannielle Veivers taking victory with Baileys With Legs for father John.
Narissa finished second aboard the Mark Rees-trained One Last Roll and Taleah again finished third, with the Peter McKay-trained Nesters Hill.
After claiming the NAIDOC pace in a mare’s class record, it was Peter McMullen dictated from the front in the last race of the day with Tungsten Terror for trainer Richard Hutchinson, in a track record.
Finding the lead in the early stages, the pace throughout was frenetic and the nine-year-old veteran gelding became the first horse to rate sub 1.56 around Marburg.
Holding off Kanye Crusader, the mile rate of 1.55.7 broke the previous mark held by Islas Joy with the first two across the line breaking clear of the chasing pack, Kyronta grabbing third, some 40-metres adrift.
THE WILDCARD
Marburg was incorporated into the Queensland Constellations for 2022 and on Sunday the inaugural running of the Western Star was held at the popular country track west of Brisbane.
Fresh off her maiden Group 1 victory the night before, it was Narissa McMullen that landed victory in the feature, leading throughout aboard the Mark Rees-trained Woodlea Diego.
The five-year-old gelding was having just his fifth start since crossing the Tasman to join the Rees stable, making it two wins and two minors under the care of the Peak Crossing mentor.
Making the most of gate one, McMullen secured a steady opening half of 64.1 seconds, which left plenty in the tank for the sprint home.
A 27.3 third split put the pressure on the chasing pack and turning for home, Woodlea Diego (pictured winning) never looked in danger with a 28.3 closing split.
The Lola Weidemann-trained and Hayden Barnes driven Misty Creek stuck to the fence from back in the pack to snare second, with Rees narrowly missing out on training the quinella with Sailalong Sinbad finishing third for driver Rhys Nicholson.
It was a winning double on the day for the Rees/McMullen combination, the pair joining forces earlier on the card with an all-the-way victory to Jewel Of Peak.
Pouncing on the lead soon after the start, the five-year-old mare paced the opening half in 59.6 seconds, dialling it up through the third split with a 28.4 quarter.
Getting tired in the closing stages, the chasers were also flat and the daughter of Hurrikane Kingcole held on for a six-metre victory.
The one-time Marburg track record holder claimed her seventh Marburg victory the 16 wins of her career.
Speaking with Rees over a bowl of muesli on Monday morning, it looks as though Jewel Of Peak has finished her career in Brisbane.
“It looks likely that she has run her last race in Brisbane,” Rees said.
“There is possibly an offer from America, but we will wait and see, it doesn’t matter if it falls through because I am happy to breed from he.”
Jewel Of Peak has amassed 16 wins and 24 minors in her 89 career starts for Rees.
THIS WEEK
Five race meetings on the calendar for the week ahead in Queensland, three at Albion Park and two at Redcliffe.
Tuesday’s meeting from The Creek will be a twilight event, with the first race scheduled to start at 4.17pm.
Redcliffe will host their regular Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon programmes, with 10 races on Wednesday’s card.
The highlight of the week comes when Group 1 racing return to The Creek with three races at the elite level to be staged.
The Garrards Sunshine Sprint is the headline of the night, and it will be supported by the Golden Girl for mares and the APG Brisbane Sales Graduate Final.
Trotters will tackle mobile conditions in the Group 2 Trotters Sprint, while the three-year-olds will step out in the South East Derby and South East Oaks.