Dashman's harness look ahead - March 20

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

Racing from Albion Park on Friday and Saturday nights will be the local focus ahead of Marburg hosting heats of the Goldstrike Series on Monday afternoon.

Queensland will be represented in New South Wales on Friday with heats of the time-honoured Bathurst Gold Crown.

While, at Penrith, Regazzo Di Tilly will tackle the Group 3 Renshaw Cup.

FRIDAY FIND

Stillyourshot in race two. Unplaced in two runs back from a spell, this presents as a class drop and the chance to strike despite the awkward gate.

SATURDAY SPECIAL 

Shes Crunchy in race seven. Shes Crunchy has finished top two in all four starts since joining the Debra Belford stable at Redcliffe.

Last start, Shes Crunchy was strong in finishing second.

RON SET FOR TEAL GLORY

The Team Teal Female Drivers Invitation will be held on Saturday night.

The race returns to Albion Park after being held at Redcliffe in 2025.

Held annually, the race signifies the end of the six-week WomenCan fundraising venture and teal pants initiative.

Taleah McMullen has led the way for the ladies by winners in 2026 during the Team Teal campaign.

However, it will be her sister Dannielle that will be favoured to win Saturday’s invitation race.

Dannielle will be partnering with the Ron Sallis-trained Seaside Glory.

The four-year-old mare is winless from eight attempts this season but has been responsible for some impressive performances.

Placed in five of those eight starts, Seaside Glory has been runner-up from bad barriers to the flying Cotchinellie at the past two and will appreciate barrier two for this Saturday’s assignment.

Maid Of Money is the query runner.

The mare is a newcomer to the Mark Dux stable that arrives with three successive NSW victories but will be resuming from a spell.

To be driven by Trista Dixon, the eight-year-old has not started since January 15 and tackles this race without a public trial.

Nikki Chalk will take the reins behind Lullaby for Steve Cini in barrier four.

The mare was a last start runner-up behind Sensationalize in a tough effort after sitting parked.

STREAK TO CONTINUE

Saturday’s trotting event has attracted just a small field of six.

However, it is full of quality and promises to be keenly contested.

The Mitchell Dawson-trained Aldebaranstilinski will be chasing a fifth successive victory and appears well placed from the front under the discretionary handicap conditions.

Sweeping the recent Jim McNeil series with dominance, the gelding stepped up to open company last time with victory in the Tony Veivers Memorial.

That race was a mobile start event.

The five-year-old arrived in the last stride to defeat Golden Sunset who had led the field for much of the 2138 metre journey.

This week’s handicap conditions will see Golden Sunset starting from a 20-metre handicap and the lone runner off the back mark.

A total of three runners will step from the 10-metre tape: Love Gun, Not As Promised and Zealous Spur.

Not As Promised was an uncharacteristic disappointment last start, fading to finish at the tail of the field.

However, a minor issue was discovered that has been rectified.

The dual Group 1-winner can bounce back to winning form. 

Not As Promised's three starts prior to the failure were all impressive performances, with a second to Gus and win at the mobile mile.

Zealous Spur is always around the money and the Grant Dixon-trained gelding will appreciate the handicap and small field.

Majestic Lavros will be second-up from a spell and will start from inside of the front tape for Tayla Gillespie and Matt Elkins.

GOLD RUSH

Gemma Hewitt, Steve Borg and Ben Battle have all travelled to Bathurst to contest heats of the Gold Crown on Friday afternoon.

Scar Struck will start from barrier 10 in the opening heat, with Brendan Barnes to drive the colt for Hewitt.

Scar Struck was the first two-year-old winner of the season in Queensland.

Head Rush will line up in heat two for Borg, with Nathan Dawson heading south to take the reins.

The pair will start from barrier five.

Dawson will also partner with the last start Albion Park winner San Luca for trainer Battle.

The gelding has drawn wide in barrier seven as they chase a berth in the Group 1 Final next Saturday.

LOU CINI MEMORIAL LOOMS 

Saturday’s Lou Cini Memorial looks like it could be a race in two between Dashing and Whos Delight.

The Shawn Grimsey-trained Dashing lands the advantage from barrier one.

The last start winner will be again partnered by Nathan Dawson.

Dashing produced a gritty victory last start when sitting parked to defeat Attachment.

The last half was run in a sizzling 53.5 seconds.

The Grant Dixon-trained Whos Delight will need to be at his best to overcome gate six.

However, the gelding has been super with wins at both starts since arriving in Queensland.

Leading throughout when driven by Angus Garrard in a UDC heat, second-up the six-year-old showed tremendous acceleration to arrive in the last stride when shuffled three back along the inside from gate one.

Attachment has been runner-up at his past two for trainer Chantal Turpin but has drawn to start from outside the front line.

The Lou Cini Memorial is named in honour of the former owner, trainer and breeder.

Lou's two sons Charlie and Stephen are still turning out regular winners with the race first held back in 2011.