The price is right for Redcliffe Gold Cup glory

By Andrew Smith

All roads lead to Redcliffe for the Shannon Price stable this weekend as the 2026 Queensland Constellations kicks off.

The trainer will roll out a four-pronged attack on the opening night of the winter carnival at “The Triangle.”

The horsewoman will be looking to take out the Redcliffe Gold Cup with stars Final Deadline and Speak The Truth.

Exciting gelding Final Deadline enters the race off the back of a blistering victory at Albion Park last Saturday night.

The four-year-old was taken straight to the front by driver Adam Sanderson, powering home for a 53.3 seconds last half.

Price said there were encouraging signs for the pacer ahead of Saturday night’s Group 2 event, with the Group 1 Rising Sun on the horizon early next month.

“He’s been aimed at this race, everything I've pointed towards this race and the Rising Sun, so everything's just been aimed around the standing-start races,” Price said.

“After the Redcliffe Cup, he’ll be going in The Rising Sun, and then we'll see how we go there before we make any plans.

“We’ll decided whether we're in the 4YO Championship and then the Inter Dominion or just the 4YO Championship.”

Sanderson will again be in the sulky for the 2613m run on Saturday evening, and will start from gate nine.

Price’s other star Speak The Truth has drawn 12 for the Cup and will have Nathan Dawson doing the steering.

The gelding has jumped to 7^th in the latest 2026 Inter Dominion rankings released this week.

Price said Saturday’s feature event was an important stepping stone towards this year’s lucrative ID Championship where Speak The Truth is expected to again come up against superstar Leap To Fame.

“His prep’s been good, he’s exactly where we want him to be,” Price said.

“I was happy with his run last week, so hopefully we can go a bit better this week.

“He doesn’t like racing too much, but he's spot on for Saturday night, and then the Inter Dominion.

“He's going as good as he's ever gone, so he'll be as good, if not a little bit better than last year.”

Final Deadline sits second on the line of betting at $3.80 as of Thursday afternoon, while Speak The Truth is a $9.50 chance.

The Grant Dixon-trained Path To Greatness is the favourite for the $106,070 event on the Peninsula.

The Queensland Hall of Fame trainer has five chances in the race with superstar Fate Awaits also lining up.

Price believed the 13-strong field would be the biggest obstacle for her duo on Saturday night.

“The size of the field around the smaller tracks is probably the hardest thing to negotiate for all the horses,” Price said.

“We saw in the Flashing Red last week with 14 runners with the front, the 10 metres, and the 20-metre handicap.

“The 20 metre horses were 60 metres off them, so again a 20-metre handicap around a tight-turning corner is a very big start from the first horse to the last horse.

“So yeah I'd say traffic and size of the field will be the hardest to beat.”

Price will also have Hide And Seek go around in the Redcliffe Trotters Cup, and Shankys Shot in the Group 3 Redcliffe Derby.

The Queensland Constellations will be staged from June 20 to July 18 at Albion Park, Redcliffe and Marburg.

Marburg will host their annual The Western Star meeting this Sunday, June 21.

More than $4 million in prize money and bonuses will go on the line throughout four action-packed weeks of harness racing, including 15 Group races – eight of which are Group 1 events.

Click here to see the full program for the 2026 Queensland Constellations.