Lucky winner receives great service

He will be putting the well bred and well performed mare Mexican Invasion to the horse.

Marburg is becoming a great venue for regular racing.

TROT TACTICS

A LUCKY winner has gained a valuable boost.

The Marburg Pacing Association (MPA)’s fundraiser, which was a raffle for a service to the trotting stallion My High Expectations, was drawn last Monday at Albion Park by David Brick, Racing Queensland’s manager harness.

The winner was Glasshouse Mountains trainer Terry Hancock. He will be putting the well bred and well performed mare Mexican Invasion to the horse.

My High Expectations, a Clive Palmer import, raced his entire career in Australasia winning one race from 10 starts in New Zealand, and a further 33 in NSW and Victoria, for massive earnings of $482,000.

The MPA thanks Troy Williams (lessee) and Darren Reay of Medowie Lodge Stud for their generosity and everyone who bought tickets.

Whip must go

AFTER the dust has settled following the highs of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, megabuck turnover, megabuck prize money, fashions of the glitterati and international racing celebrities, we have the lows of whips and the treatment of horses at an export abattoir facility north of Brisbane.

We are no longer in the “Age Of The Horse”. Our four-legged mates, who are in the main “purpose bred” for sporting or racing pursuits, are born, live and perform in a society who love a bet.

This is borne out by the incredible amount of money bet across the Melbourne Cup Carnival, proving that the potential to restore both codes of equine racing lies in the lounge room.

The sooner that racing supremos understand that the whip must go, and that abattoirs must learn that the un-rehomable must be treated with total consideration and kindness in the process, the sooner that gallops and harness will rebuild the public support they once had.

The simple truth is that we ignore public opinion at our peril.

What was acceptable in the “Age Of the Horse” will not wash today, and it is racing which has to change, not the potential punters.

Watch this space next week when North Queensland LNP Senator Susan McDonald backs the return of harness to Townsville.

Track update

THE following is an update on the track resurfacing projects at Redcliffe and Albion Park over the past few weeks.

Racing will resume at Albion Park on Thursday afternoon ahead of the upcoming TAB Queensland Summer Harness Racing Carnival.

Over the past fortnight, Racing Queensland - in conjunction with the Albion Park Harness Racing Club - has conducted minor works to the home turn, along with a track resurface to ensure the venue is in pristine condition ahead of the up-coming black-type races. At the same time, APHRC used the outage to install a new Colorbond fence in the section where the works were being conducted.

During this time, the newly renovated Redcliffe Paceway accommodated the majority of re-scheduled Albion Park meetings, with the track record falling not once but twice.

Great run

ON Saturday night, the Donny Smith trained and Nathan Dawson driven, Always In Command, rated a 1:54.3 mile rate, bettering the previous 1:54.4 mark set by the Jack Butler trained Sams The Master (Brendan Barnes) seven days earlier.

“Redcliffe has done a wonderful job shouldering the scheduling load while repairs have occurred at Albion Park,” RQ Chief Operating Officer Adam Wallish said.

“It’s a credit to the Redcliffe staff to have the new track performing so strongly.

“We’re looking forward to racing returning to Albion Park on Thursday ahead of the up-coming Summer Carnival.”Earlier this year, RQ announced the $50,000 DJA Trotting Championship would be elevated to Group 1 status as part of this year’s Summer Carnival.

In total, Albion Park will host three black-type races next month commencing on Saturday, December 7 with the Group 3 Be Good Johnny Sprint.

Heats for the DJA Trotting Championship will commence on the same evening and will continue ahead of the Final on Saturday, December 21 which will be run in conjunction with the $50,000 Group 2 Queensland Cup.

The 2019 TAB Queensland Summer Harness Racing Carnival will feature five meetings throughout December at Albion Park and Redcliffe.

Handy tips

SELECTIONS for Albion Park tonight.

R1: Box trifecta 1-2-10 Royal lincoln (J Wallace)-Studleigh stride (T McMullen)-Secret Agent Tycoon (N Dawson).

R2: Quinella 1-8: Feelingforamiracle (K Dawson) and Captain Cosmonaut (T Dawson).

R3: Box trifecta1-2-10: Rowdys Ace (T McMulen)-Taylor Hood (B Battle)-Dollar Bill (A Richardson).

R4: E/w 6: Classie American (G Dixon).

R5: E/w 10: Charming Major (B Barnes).

R6: Box trifecta 2-6-8: Clintal Do (D March)-Fame Assured (G Dixon)-Glenferrie Hood (P McMullen).

R7: Quinella 1-8: Rory Mach (A Sanderson) and Living Again (B Barnes).

R8: Box trifecta 5-7-11: Gee Up Neddy (H Barnes)-Justabitnoisy (C Geary)-Empire Bay (P McMullen).

R9: Quinella 1-3: Makoa (G dixon) and Seeuinnashville (C Geary).

R10: Quinella 6-7: My Secret Torque (P McMullen) and Stevie Dee (A Sanderson).

Honour board

TALEAH McMullen is at the top of the driver’s board this week, steering four winners beating Adam Sanderson. Top trainer was John McMullen, three to Adam Sanderson on two. Most pleasing was Wecanonlyhope. Chalk one up for Lacey Hinze. Ipswich factor: 19/44.

Marburg, November 8: Rancho Man (Taleah McMullen for John McMullen); Havana Moon (Codi Rauchenberger for Richard Hutchinson); Feelingforarainbow (Adam Richardson for Dave Russell); Wecanonlyhope (Matt Elkins for Lacey Hinze); Our Little Girl (Taleah McMullen for John McMullen); Rowdys Ace (Taleah McMullen for John McMullen).

Redcliffe, November 9: Ketut (Matt Elkins for Donny Smith); Senora Rapido (Adam Sanderson for Craig Cross); FiokiTaleah McMullen for Ryan Veivers); Our Oneranova (Adam Sanderson for Grant Dixon).

Redcliffe, November 12: Daveys Gift (Adam Richardson for Kay Crone); Dapper (Hayden Barnes for Wayne Graham).

Redcliffe, November 13: Lurah (Adam Sanderson).

Albion Park, November 14: Millwood Tilly (Chantal Turpin); Our Delight (Chantal Turpin); Ashlee Nitro (Pete McMullen for Stewie Dickson); Our Memphis Mac (Adam Richardson for Jason Carkeet); Rory Mach (Adam Sanderson).

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