Dashman's harness look ahead - January 30

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

The second-round heats of the Jim McNeil Memorial Trotting Championship will feature this afternoon at Albion Park, with both first-round heat winners set to clash.

With nine races on the program Saturday night, there are some quality horses engaged across the card, including the Turpin-trained Fernco Nel which closed his 2025 season with four successive victories.

In Victoria, Leap To Fame will chase further milestones, the Hall of Fame pacer attempting to add a third successive Cranbourne Cup to his illustrious record.

GET ON

Majorita Jujon. Albion Park Saturday. Race eight.

The Dixon trained mare is absolutely knocking on the door to claim a mare’s qualifier. This week’s assignment profiles ideally for her to stroll through.

RIPPING RACE ONE

The NR75 Series continually produces strong fields and the January final which is race one this Saturday night is no exception.

Mullum Hank and Post Painter both line up from the second line with three successive wins on their card, Credulous has won two on the bounce and Strikem will be second up after being sent for a spell following a Victoria Derby campaign.

The barrier advantage favours the Shane Graham trained and reined Strikem after the four-year-old snared gate two which looks the perfect draw to utilise his gate speed.

Taken to Redcliffe for the fourth series heat off the back of two tidy trials, the gelding drew poorly in gate six where he was taken back early before making a three-wide move.

Credulous had led from gate one and made the most of the inside alley to lead throughout, finishing 3-metres in front of Strikem which was able to qualify with a second placing.

Mullum Hank has started 2026 in super form, compiling three successive victories, including a win in heat three where he was able to overcome an outside second line barrier to stop the clock in 1.51.9.

Drawn inside the second line for the final, the Darren Weeks trained gelding will be relying on some luck and tempo, with the map suggesting he will be shuffled three back along the inside.

Set to start from barrier nine, Post Painter is flying for trainer Gemma Hewitt, the mare securing a third successive win with victory in a mare’s qualifier last week after a tough run in transit.

That victory was in 1.52.7, outside her PB win three starts back where she delivered a 1.51.4 triumph, with each of her past three wins all delivered with grit, sitting parked on each occasion.

FERNCO TO FIRE

With 12 Albion Park appearances to his name, Fernco Nel has developed an impressive record of nine wins and three minor placings in the six months since crossing the Tasman.

Shut down in December after a fourth successive victory, that streak also included a piece of history, becoming the first (and still only) three-year-old to pace a sub 1.50 mile at Albion Park with a 1.49.3 win on November 8.

Given a pipe-opener at the trials in readiness for a return to the track, it was easy work for the stallion which will have to overcome gate 11 in his first outing for the season.

It appears the perfect race for Fernco Nel to begin his campaign that has been earmarked to include a trip to Menangle for the Chariots of Fire, with just one last start winner engaged in the 12-horse field.

That winner is Betterthan Popsy which will jump from gate six for Trista Dixon, while Targaryen, Carbineer, Lanai, Basilisk Bob and My Ultimate Flynn each have one win in their past five starts.

SENSATION RETURNS 

Trent Lethaby and Taleah McMullen enjoyed a stellar three-month window at the end of 2025 with the mare Tremendous Sensation.

Joining their stable as a two-time winner in the South Island of New Zealand, the pair took the daughter of Betting Line to the races on 10 occasions between September and early December, securing seven wins and three placings.

Arguably the highlight was a 1.50.8 mile when securing the Queen of the Creek, while she also defeated the promising Fernco Nel in October.

The now five-year-old will be fresh without the benefit of a trial when she contests the open mare’s pace on Saturday night at Albion Park from gate four.

Their will be just five opponents on Saturday that include the Group 2 winning Soap Opera, NSW Oaks winner Windy Hill Tara and last start winner Sergios Rocket.

Judging by her performances last season, the mare seems well placed to begin her latest campaign.

CAN LTF MAKE IT A CRANBOURNE THREEPEAT?

The only horse to ever win successive Cranbourne Pacing Cups, Leap To Fame will be out to extend his grip on the history of the race when he chases a third victory in the event on Saturday night.

Turning the tables on Kingman in last week’s Ballarat Cup, a small field of seven will do battle in this week’s leg of the $1m Summer of Glory Country Cups Series.

Victory for Leap To Fame will not only secure a third Cranbourne success, but it will also keep alive the million-dollar bonus aspirations for connections.

Set to jump from gate four, Kingman lands the early favours from gate one, while Swayzee makes his first appearance in Victoria this season, with his only starts for Jason Grimson south of the Murray resulting in a Victoria Cup and a Hunter Cup victory.