Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
YSMIR BACK-TO-BACK
Owner and breeder Shane McConnell continues to enjoy the benefits of an initiative launched in 2018 by Racing Queensland and Haras Des Trotteurs to boost the ownership and breeding of trotters in the Sunshine State.
The initiative offered the opportunity for individuals to enter a public ballot to secure ownership in a trotting broodmare for no cost.
A total of 14 broodmares were offered in the free ballot held in 2018.
There was a free service to Used To Me, Dream Catcher or En Solitaire for the first breeding also included, with the first foals of the campaign hitting the ground in 2019.
Shane McConnell secured ownership of the mare Yankee Duchess in the ballot.
He opted to uptake the free service on offer and the mare was put in foal to Used To Me, who is a French-bred stallion imported to Australia by Pat Driscoll.
The resultant foal races as Ysmir.
Last Tuesday at Albion Park, the now six-year-old mare secured her seventh career victory for McConnell by going back-to-back with successive wins.
Trained by Trent Moffat, the mare has now won over $75,000 in stakes, along with three QBRED bonus wins for McConnell.
Moffat also trains the half-brother to Ysmir, Dollys Duke, who is also owned and bred by McConnell.
The gelding claimed a maiden breaking win back in October at Marburg at the all-trot meeting.
AJAY AND DARCY BOTH ENORMOUS
A couple of the biggest performances in Queensland in the past week came from the trotting gait.
The first produced an unlikely victory while the other was a herculean second placing.
On Tuesday at Albion Park, the Graham Dwyer-trained Darcys Fireball made an error soon after the start of a mobile 1660 metre event and by the time he was trotting cleanly, he was over 50 metres from the leader.
Continuing to chase the field with 600 metres remaining, the task appeared forlorn, with the margin to the leader still more than 40 metres.
Driver Shane Graham allowed Darcys Fireball to trot freely and as they swung into the home straight, the gelding was within striking distance.
Fighting to the line, the six-year-old arrived in the last stride to defeat Aldebaran Fonz.
The victory is arguably the finest of his 10 career wins.
On Saturday night in metropolitan company, it was Ajay Volstead that left racegoers with their jaws on the ground in disbelief after a mammoth effort in defeat.
It was Masterly, driven by Leonard Cain, who would ultimately lead throughout.
Masterly led the field along in quarters of 29.8, 30.3, 28.7 and 28.6 seconds to secure his first Albion Park victory for trainer Jack Butler.
However, it was the run of Ajay Volstead finishing second that produced all the commentary post-race.
The Darren Weeks-trained five-year-old trotted safely away for the first five strides from the tapes before breaking.
By the time he found his gait, Ajay Volstead was over 80 metres from the leader and 50 metres from the second last runner in the pack.
Chasing hard for driver Angus Garrard, he was running up behind them as the field swung for home, with Garrard trying to find a clear passage.
Slicing through a late gap, somehow Ajay Volstead managed to run second behind Masterly.
SATURDAY SNIPPETS
Matt Elkins claimed training honours on Saturday night with a treble.
It was his first at metropolitan level.
Elkins took the drives aboard My Ultimate Flynn and Jensville to record dictating victories.
Elkins' wife Narissa had the reins aboard the stables opening winner Tiger Band Wagon.
Joining the stable in the second half of 2025, Tiger Band Wagon has now secured five wins and three placings in 11 starts for Elkins.
The record of Jensville for the Elkins stable stands at five wins and seven placings from 15 appearances.
The starting manners of Ajay Volstead denied trainer Daren Weeks from securing a training treble on the night after Mullum Hank and Soap Opera both were successful in their respective events.
Mullum Hank opened the night with a tough performance after sitting parked as he fought off the challengers to claim a ninth career win after 25 starts.
Soap Opera was back in winning form later in the night.
Shane Graham sent the five-year-old forward soon after the start and once in control, Soap Opera never looked in danger of defeat.
It was career win 11 for the well-named Soap Opera and her first since September.
It was the second leg of a siring double for Warrawee Needy.
Mitchell Dawson produced Shes A Warrawee to a first-up win for the stable.
Nathan Dawson took the reins on the four-year-old who blew her rivals off the track.
THIS WEEK
There are five meetings for the week in Queensland, with three from Albion Park and two from Redcliffe.
A seven-race card from AP will start the week on Tuesday, followed by nine races on Wednesday night at Redcliffe.
Interstate action will showcase Leap To Fame heading south to tackle the Shepparton Cup, with the stable shooting for the $1 million Victorian Summer Of Glory bonus.
