Winter weekend to warm the hearts of all harness fans

THERE was a time when winter was a harness racing wasteland occupied by poor horses racing on bog tracks. Saturday is proof those days are gone.

Race 9: Tabcorp Park, Friday 7-3-2014 SEW-Eurodrive Flying Free For All (M0 or better.) Winner: Smoken Up (2) Trainer: Lance Justice; Driver: Lance Justice Race Distance: 1,720 metres Mile Rate: 1.54.7 photography: Stuart McCormick

THERE was a time when winter was a harness racing wasteland occupied by poor horses racing on bog tracks. Saturday is proof those days are gone.

Harness racing will upstage its thoroughbred cousin this week with group racing in four states, including two bona fide champions on historic personal quests Saturday night.

Mid-winter action starts in Perth on Friday night with the $125,000 Golden Slipper, and while it will hardly get the pulses racing in the east, it is still a serious stake for a July juvenile race.

Melton in Victoria holds a rare Saturday night meeting that sees some of NSW’s best juveniles head south, including the much-hyped Birdy Mach, who has deservedly opened a $1.50 favourite with the TAB to remain unbeaten in the $50,000 Tatlow Stakes.

His Seymour Classic-winning stablemate Smooth Showgirl contests the fillies division of the same series against Kiwi filly Katy Perry.

And the trotting stars will also be on show in Victoria with the all-trotters Maryborough meeting reaching its climax on Sunday.

But it is in Brisbane and Sydney where the real stars come out to play. I’m Themightyquinn has been well backed to win the $100,00 Blacks A Fake which would give him first group one in that state on his first and almost certainly last campaign there.

Less than 30 minutes later Australia’s best three-year-old Bling It On will start a red-hot favourite in the $100,000 Queensland Derby even from a second line draw.

But the race that will evoke the most emotion over the weekend is not the one with the highest stake or the most promise for the future but Smoken Up’s farewell to Menangle.

The great horse, winner of $3.5 million and still holder of the Australasian mile record at 1min 48.5sec will have his last Menangle start in a $30,000 free-for-all, which he has opened $1.80 to win.

If he hits the line in front around 8.25pm on Saturday, the trainers of the group race winners around Australia this weekend will be happy to share the limelight with him.

Originally published as Winter weekend to warm the hearts of all harness fans