Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
The 2022 BOTRA Young Drivers Championship concluded at Marburg on Sunday with Zac Chappenden was crowned the winner.
With a change in the calendar to be held in December from the usual May timeslot, the Series also saw a change in venue format, with two heats held at Redcliffe, Albion Park and for the first time Marburg.
Chappenden was able to claim the title for the second time in his career after his successful 2020 triumph.
In one of the most even Championships ever held, all six heats were won by a different driver, with Chappenden’s consistency across the series proving the difference as he was able to claim a two-point victory.
Earning 48 points across the six races, Chappenden held off Justin Elkins and Luke Whittaker who both finished on 46 points, with Angus Garrard a further five points back in fourth on 41.
The opening heat on Wednesday night at Redcliffe went to Garrard when guiding the David McKenzie-trained Tulhurst Cuddles to victory with a well-timed run down the outside.
Redcliffe’s second heat of the series went to Lachie Manzelmann aboard Awayovernight for trainer Ben Battle, sending the seven-year-old to the front soon after the start, a position that he would not relinquish.
The Championships moved to Albion Park on Friday where the third heat was taken out by Justin Elkins for trainer Mark Dux on Shez All Style.
Content to sit parked over the mile trip, the five-year-old mare responded to Elkins and was in for the fight up the home stretch, clinging on for a narrow victory.
It was heat four where Chappenden was able to gain his victory in the series, scoring on the in-form filly Merge Right for trainer Peter Greig.
Securing one-one cover from gate three, Chappenden made his move at exactly the right time and was able to descend on the leaders to claim victory by a head margin, with Merge Right claiming a new career PB of 1.56 with the win.
On Sunday, the series moved to Marburg for the first time, and it was a change that appears well received by the industry, giving the young drivers exposure at each of the three tracks that hold the most racing in Queensland.
Taleah McMullen was able to win the fifth heat, guiding the Lola Weidemann-trained Hesluvable to an all the way victory from gate one.
Going into the final heat, the series was wide-open, and it would come down to the wire, with Luke Whittaker able to claim maximum points and leapfrog into equal second placing.
Fresh off his ‘Metro’ double at headquarters the night previous, Whittaker led throughout on Magicol Ideal for trainer John Stariha, able to dictate the tempo through a steady 65.6 opening half which left plenty in reserve for a slick closing 800m sprint.
Despite a 6th placing in the final heat, Chappenden’s consistency of the win and two minor placings throughout the six races, he had the points to hold on for his second success.
THE BAD
Angus Garrard missed a placing in the BOTRA Young Drivers Championship for the first time having finished in the top-three at the past two editions of the series.
Amazingly, the 2022 series was just the third time that Garrard has been a part of the championships and although he missed the placings, he was able to hold on to fourth, seven points adrift of the winner Zac Chappenden.
While he may have missed out on Championship glory, Garrard still had a week to remember, surpassing 500 career wins when guiding the Mark Dux-trained Captain Nemo to victory at Albion Park last Tuesday.
Sending the four-year-old to the front soon after the start, Garrard kept a genuine tempo throughout the 1660-metre event and was able to fight off the challengers to claim victory.
Stopping the clock in 1.53.4, Captain Nemo set a new career best with his 11th victory, five of those having been recorded at The Creek.
In just his third full driving season, the 19-year-old becomes the fastest driver to reach the 500-win milestone in Australia, having surpassed 150 winners in each of his full seasons completed.
While Garrard may have missed the money in this year’s Young Drivers Series, he was still able to hit another milestone.
Winning the first heat aboard Tulhurst Cuddles, that victory was the 150th this season for Garrard as he was able to end the week with 152 for the term.
That tally was reached when guiding the Kay Crone trained Indefensible to victory in the Albion Park Trotters Christmas Cup.
Stepping safely from the tapes, Garrard had the five-year-old in front every step of the way, holding off the fast-finishing Kingdom Come to score by a half-neck.
THE MILESTONE
Pete McMullen is on track to defend his Queensland and Australian Drivers Premiership titles, heading into the last two weeks of the season.
Last Thursday at Redcliffe, McMullen claimed his 250th winner for the season when guiding My Girl Mandy home along the passing lane for trainer Peter Greig.
While the benchmark he set last season of 315 wins looks safe for another season, McMullen became the first Queensland driver to record successive seasons in excess of 250 winners.
With a lead that had extended to 30 wins over second placed Nathan Dawson in the state title following Thursday’s victory, McMullen looks set to hold on for his third successive premiership.
Winning the title this season, McMullen will become the first driver since Shane Graham (14/15, 15/16, 16/17) to claim three successive premierships, well short of Grant Dixon’s domination in the early 2000s where he claimed nine in a row.
There has been no standout performer across the season for McMullen in 2022, however Blacksadance becoming the first horse to break 1.50 under race conditions with McMullen in the bike would feature prominently in the highlight reel for the man dubbed Leader Peter.
Stopping the clock in 1.49.2 on September 10, Blacksadance lowered the mark set on April 30 when he scorched the Breakfast Creek oval to take ownership of the 1.50.4 track record off Im Themightquinn and Cruz who had held it jointly.
However, the roller-coaster of racing was evidenced in the Be Good Johnny Sprint in November when the five-year-old gelding claimed his first win at Group level.
Sidelined by a suspension, McMullen missed the drive, with Trent Dawson taking the reins to claim the Group 3 feature.
Blacksadance was back in the winner’s enclosure on Saturday night for McMullen, claiming career win number 20 with victory in the Christmas Cup, the 18 of those with Pete in the bike.
THE WILDCARD
It has been a good week for the Chappenden family and experiencing his most successful season of driving to date, Phil Chappenden was able to land his 50th career winner at Redcliffe on Thursday when partnering Diego Delgado to victory.
The win was the 11th this season for Chappenden and capped a handy week after also claiming an Albion Park victory six days previous with Holdingno Currency.
Both horses are trained by his partner Melissa Kendall, who has prepared 19 winners this season, just behind her most successful term which came in the extended term of 2019/20.
Chappenden has been in the bike for many of Kendall’s wins this season, scoring wins aboard those mentioned above along with Aroona, Mister Hart and Wild About Town.
However, it is Diego Delgado that has now earned what could possibly be a small piece of history.
Still a maiden at the start of the season, the Union Guy six-year-old is owned by Phil and Melissa and has managed to claim four wins in that period.
From these four victories, Phil has driven him to two wins - his maiden breaking win and the most recent, Melissa has driven him to a Redcliffe win and the other was also a Redcliffe triumph when driven by their son, Zac Chappenden.
The occurrence of a mother, father and child all driving in the same race has only ever happened a handful of times and the Chappenden/Kendall trio are yet to achieve that special moment, with the last time it occurred in Queensland when Gavin and Kay Crone competed in the same race against their son Matt.
But it might just be Diego Delgado that holds a special piece of history, of mother, father and child all driving the same horse to win in the same season.
THIS WEEK
For the first time in quite a few months, there will be just five harness meetings in Queensland for the week.
With Christmas Day falling on Sunday, there will be no meeting and the Monday Boxing Day holiday will also be without a fixture.
That will see Albion Park host three meetings for the week; an eight-race card on Tuesday afternoon followed by meetings on Friday afternoon and Saturday night.
These meetings will be altered with Friday and Saturday swapping from regular programming, meaning Friday will host the weekly metropolitan fixture and Saturday night will host what would normally be programmed for the Friday.
Redcliffe will have two meetings for the week, with Wednesday night the annual Christmas Cup meeting.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and joy filled festive season, with many winners!