Queensland Harness Racing Wrap - August 6

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

THE GOOD

The year of 2024 has been a testing year for the Elkins family, facing huge hurdles with the injury and hospitalisation of the clan’s patriarch, Greg.

On Friday night at Albion Park, a relationship that extends over 20 years saw another chapter added when Royal Speech claimed a strong victory.

Trained by Matt Elkins, Royal Speech was bred and owned by Peter and his late wife Lesley Medhurst, with the Elkins and Medhurst family relationship dating back to the start of the century when Greg Elkins purchased a horse named Glencoe Fella.

In the past dozen years, the relationship has flourished, with the Medhursts sending multiple horses to Queensland to the Elkins family and success has always followed.

With Greg slowly recovering from his horrific injuries and multiple surgeries, Royal Speech was sent to Matt.

The six-year-old gelding had been well performed in South Australia and Victoria, recording 18 wins before arriving in Queensland.

Trialling sharply in readiness for his first Albion Park appearance, a second line gate did look to temper expectations.

However, Matt drove the gelding confidently and after a steady lead time of 38.1 seconds, moved Royal Speech around to take control with one mile left to travel.

Once dictating, the speed was strong, with the opening half in 59.1 seconds before dialling it up down the back with a 27.8 second third split.

Maintaining the advantage, Matt and Royal Speech ran the final split in an identical 27.8 seconds to post a winning margin of 7.6 metres.

A son of Well Said, Royal Speech is out of the mare Three Queens, the same maternal breeding line that the Medhursts have had great success with.

It is success that the Elkins have also been a part of with horses such as Surface To Air, Flaming Hero and Forty Seven Flash all winning multiple races in Queensland for the Elkins and Medhurst combination.

It was fitting that Greg Elkins was able to be at the race track on Friday night to witness the win of Royal Speech, despite his health battles and further impending surgeries.

For Matt Elkins, the win adds to the victories for the Medhursts he was able to claim with Congo Line earlier this season, a horse formerly trained by his father Greg which he took on following the accident.

THE BAD

It was a tough week for Doug Hewitt that saw him sidelined and feeling poorly.

Unable to take race day drives and forced to stay home, he was still able to claim two training wins to end the week and take his season tally to 18 wins.

Playboi Roy - a seven-year-old gelding - continued his remarkable comeback, winning at Redcliffe on Thursday to take his season record to two wins and four minor placing in six attempts.

With close to three years off the scene, the gelding has been in the money at all six starts for Doug, leading throughout on 'The Triangle' for a 5.9 metre winning margin with Brendan Barnes deputising to take the drive.

On Saturday, Nathan Dawson secured a last-minute call-up to take the reins on Mymatepog, with the switch proving successful when the pair were able to claim the opening race of the night.

With the Jason Grimson-trained Cya Art resuming from a spell and starting a short-price favourite, Mymatepog was sent to the post as a $26 chance from a second line draw.

The favourite set a solid tempo in front, but it was Mymatepog that was able to finish over the top of the opposition to claim victory, the 1.52.3 rate setting a new personal best for the eight-year-old.

It was the third metropolitan winner this season for Doug, with Infinity Beach and Alta Equus the first two, as he along with wife Casey look to establish themselves in the Sunshine State.

THE WILDCARD

It was a good two day stretch for trainer Bernie Hewitt and owners Wayne and Julie Loader with three winners across the weekend at Albion Park.

Friday night started the run when Laurie Dee led throughout, with concession driver Paula Sapio taking the reins for Bernie.

Firing out of the mobile to find the front, Sapio kept them rolling and after an opening quarter of 27.6 seconds, was able to ease to a 29.4 second split.

With the closing half recorded in 28.5 and then 28.3 seconds, the 1.53.5 rate for the five-year-old son of A Rocknroll Dance, set a new benchmark rate with his seventh career victory.

The win also gave Sapio her first win at Albion Park and her second this campaign, having claimed a Redcliffe victory with Our Ultimate Ivy at Redcliffe in early July.

Laurie Dee is out of the mare Alphitonia, who was raced by Loader to 12 victories before being retired to stud, with Laurie Dee her first foal before producing the Lazarus gelding Kick The Switch.

On Saturday night, Kick The Switch was able to put aside a frustrating campaign to date in Queensland to lead throughout and also set a new benchmark with his 1.53.8 win.

Tackling the older campaigners in a qualifier, Bernie controlled the tempo in front, running a 27.9 second closing quarter in posting a six-metre winning margin.

Later in the night, Loader’s prized mare Jewel Melody was able to bounce back to winning form with a strong victory in a mare’s qualifier.

Aiming towards the four-year-old mare’s Triad later this month, a victory in that feature will provide the multiple Group 1-winning mare with a clean sweep of the two, three and four-year-old Triad Finals.

THE MILESTONE

Is That A Bid was making his first appearance in Queensland under race conditions on Saturday night and made a huge impression when claiming an all the way victory for trainer Shannon Price.

The seven-year-old gelding has battled injuries in recent times and was sent north to Price in a last ditch bid to continue his racing career.

Succumbing to a leg issue in early 2023, the gelding had just over 12 months on the sidelines before returning for just two starts in February of 2024.

Joining the Price stable, the gelding had trialled impressively at Redcliffe for his first race appearance and was driven confidently off the arm by Adam Sanderson.

With a sharp first split in 27.5 seconds, Sanderson tapped the brakes with a 30.2 second split before starting to increase the tempo down the back, posting the quarter in 28.4 seconds. 

Turing for home, the seven-year-old looked to be travelling comfortably and was able to hold off a fast-finishing Adelle to post a head winning margin.

The final split in 28.5 seconds saw the rate on the board in 1.54.5, shaving 0.2 seconds off the previous track record for the square gaiters.

That record had also been held by the Price and Sanderson combination when Van Sank rated 1.54.7 earlier this year and is the third trotters track record this season for the pair.

Hide And Seek also secured the 2138 metre standing start record in May.

Recording just his sixth career victory, Is That A Bid, last tasted race success back in 2021, where he took some big scalps at Melton that included the millionaire Tornado Valley and Tough Monarch.

THIS WEEK

There is six race meetings to be held in Queensland this week with three apiece from both Albion Park and Redcliffe.

Tuesday and Saturday at 'The Creek' will both be 10 race cards, while Friday will see the heats of the Triads for two and three-year-old pacers.

A total of 10 races will be held at Redcliffe on Wednesday night, a further 10 on Thursday afternoon with a Sunday night meeting to wind up the week on 'The Triangle'.