Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.
Queensland will be well represented at Melton on Saturday night with heats of the Victoria Derby, Oaks and the Smoken Up Sprint all programmed on a bumper card.
Closer to home, Albion Park will host a nine-race metropolitan card on Saturday night.
The highlights at Albion Park are the free for all events for both the trotters and pacers.
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Albion Park on Saturday. Race nine - Our Ultimate Luka.
With good speed out of the machine, Our Ultimate Luka should appreciate tackling a mare’s event when drawn the front line.
Securing a pass mark last start in similar company, she drew outside the second line on that occasion and is a member of the in-form Jonah Hutchinson stable.
SATURDAY’S TROT IS HOT
Race four at Albion Park on Saturday night has attracted a high-quality trotting line-up.
The race is highlighted by the fact four of the eight runners contested the Inter Dominion Trotting Final back in July.
Zealous Spur and Love Gun have continued their campaigns since the big Group 1 Final, Not As Promised had a break and will be third-up this week, while Golden Sunset is resuming.
Golden Sunset was shut down following her ninth placing in the Final.
Not As Promised resumed with a strong first-up victory under mobile conditions.
Last week when second-up, Not As Promised went within a flared nostril of victory.
That event was a standing start contest over the 2647 metre journey where he faced a 20-metre handicap and was forced to sit parked in a brave effort.
This week the field will contest the mobile mile, with the Graham Dwyer-trained five-year-old drawn awkwardly in gate six with several quick beginners to his inside.
Golden Sunset is quick off the gate and trainer Shawn Grimsey has opted to engage the services of Pete McMullen.
Nathan Dawson is committed to Not As Promised and Shane Graham is campaigning in Victoria.
Zealous Spur has shown good gate speed previously, with the Grant Dixon-trained eight-year-old appearing to be best suited of the main hopes in the market from barrier three.
A newcomer to Queensland, Mufasa Metro, for trainer Tayla Gillespie, looks the most intriguing runner in the race.
The seven-year-old has campaigned previously in Queensland for his former trainer John Justice and in eight previous outings at Albion Park, the gelding has missed the money just once.
A winner first-up for Gillespie, Mufasa Metro was game in defeat last start at the 2138 metre mobile when parked outside Not As Promised.
The strength of that effort capturing the eyes of punters, with Mufasa Metro the favourite in early markets.
WISPER A SECRET SET TO ROAR
Race seven will be the pacers free for all on Saturday and despite the event attracting just six runners and Wisper A Secret being an odds-on favourite, it is potentially not that clear cut.
Set to start from barrier two, Wisper A Secret led the field last start over the 2138 metre journey but was unable to repel the closing challenge of Tims A Trooper, finishing a half-neck away.
One of a select group of pacers to break 1.50 at Albion Park, the Chantal Turpin-trained gelding was returning following a luckless Inter Dominion campaign when leading throughout in a 1.51.4 rate back on September 13.
The map suggests that Pete McMullen will likely be setting the tempo with the five-year-old, positioning for the other runners then could become muddling.
Undoubtedly one of the fastest horses off the gate in Australia, Turn It Up has been restrained at his past two starts, suggesting that he will again be easing from gate six.
It has been a frustrating year for connections of Manila Playboy and the seven-year-old will resume this week from gate five.
The Shane Fraser-trained gelding would be a force at his peak.
However, he may just be in need of the run, while Hot And Treacherous draws favourable in gate one.
The main threat will be Tims A Trooper, but the map may just make it too hard for the six-year-old.
With trainer Grant Dixon in Victoria, Trista Dixon will take the reins on the gelding who will pass $500,000 in career earnings after this week’s contest.
Turning over Wisper A Secret two starts back, Tims A Trooper was sectionally impressive last week when unplaced.
Tims A Trooper produced the best last 800 metre sectional and was the only runner making any ground behind Leap To Fame.
QUEENSLANDERS HEAD SOUTH
Leap To Fame spearheads the Queensland assault at Melton this Saturday night, with the Grant Dixon-trained and reined champion continuing his Victoria Cup preparations in the Smoken Up Sprint.
Drawn wide in gate six, if there is any danger to the dual Inter Dominion Champion, it would come from The Eureka-winner Bay Of Biscay.
However, the four-year-old will start from outside the front line in gate seven.
In the Victoria Derby heats, Fate Awaits, Strikem and Final Deadline will fly the Queensland flag as they attempt to qualify for next week’s Group 1 Final.
Fate Awaits will start from barrier two in the second heat for Grant Dixon.
The Rising Sun-winner is set to start outside the quick beginner Our Sweet Delight.
Our Sweet Delight was previously prepared by Chantal Turpin but the colt is now with Jason Grimson.
In the third Derby heat, hopes of a Queensland victory have been dealt a blow, with Strikem and Final Deadline set to jump from barriers six and seven, respectively.
