Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.
Albion Park will host 10 races this Saturday night for the metropolitan meeting, with the open trot shaping as the race of the night.
Queensland will also be represented at Menangle and Melton on Saturday night, the New South Wales Breeders Challenge Finals the highlight in Sydney.
In Victoria, Leap To Fame steps out for a third successive weekend, with his New Zealand Cup trip dependent on his performance in the opening race of the night from Melton.
GET ON
Bigger The Bettor.
Albion Park on Saturday in race two.
Drawn ideally to utilise his early speed, Nathan Dawson can look to fire off the arm and dictate term from the front.
With four wins from 10 starts at Albion Park, he can chase a fifth.
THE TROT IS HOT
There may only be a field of seven to do battle in the open class trot this Saturday night at Albion Park, but it promises to be a great contest.
It seems only fitting that the two main players in the race will be partnered by the two drivers that are going head-to-head in the metropolitan driver’s premiership.
Not As Promised has been superb in three runs back from a spell with his only defeat coming when beaten the barest possible margin by Hide And Seek at his second-up attempt.
Gus will be second-up this week as his preparation for the Dominion at Addington in New Zealand.
Gus' trainer Chantal Turpin took the six-year-old to Menangle for his first run in late September.
Nathan Dawson leads the state premiership over Pete McMullen.
However, the metropolitan standings sit the other way.
McMullen holds an eight-win lead.
The dominance of the pair is highlighted by the 26-win gap from Dawson back to the third-placed Grant Dixon.
Not As Promised will boast race fitness over Gus and lines up following his track record breaking effort at the mobile mile, where the gelding was enormous in victory.
If the ‘big-two’ somehow bring each other undone, several runners will be ready to capitalise.
The Dixon pair of Love Gun and Zealous Spur are both capable, while the previous mile track record holder, Golden Sunset, will jump from barrier four.
TURN IT UP CLOSING IN ON MILESTONE
Victory in this Saturday night’s free for all would take evergreen veteran Turn It Up to within $3,000 of the magical $1 million stakes barrier.
The grand campaigner has been in good form during his latest preparation, finishing second behind Wisper A Secret and then The Janitor at his past two appearances.
Despite being faced with gate seven this week, given his electric speed out of the machine, the 10-year-old looks a realistic chance of finding the front.
What does Shane Graham do thereafter?
With the strength of the front line, it could be the case that he looks to dictate, with the only horses potentially offering a trail being the Grant Dixon-trained Aroda or Tiger Band Wagon who is up in grade for Matt Elkins.
The last win for Turn It Up was back in June at the mile, where the veteran showed he still has it when joining the elite sub 1.50 club.
Lining up for his 97th race appearance at Albion Park, Turn It Up will be chasing his 26th victory at Queensland’s harness headquarters.
IS IT D-DAY FOR LEAP TO FAME?
After successive defeats in Victoria in the Smoken Up Sprint and then the Victoria Cup, a New Zealand trip for Leap To Fame will be on the line on Saturday night.
Trainer and driver Grant Dixon has opted to give the champion another start at Melton to assist in weighing up whether the trip across the Tasman takes place.
Nothing less than a convincing victory will be enough to ensure Leap To Fame is on the plane to Christchurch to attack the New Zealand Cup on the second Tuesday in November.
It will only be a small field that he needs to defeat.
However, Leap To Fame's conqueror from the Smoken Up Sprint, Bulletproof Boy, will line up, as will eight-time Group 1 winner, the enigmatic Catch A Wave.
With the all-clear from a post-Victoria Cup blood test, Leap To Fame will be out to avoid a third-successive defeat - something that has never happened in his 72-start career.
WEEKS HOPING VICTORY WRITTEN IN SCRIPT
The Darren Weeks-trained Soap Opera will contest the New South Wales Breeders Challenge 4YO Mares Final on Saturday night at Menangle and has drawn ideally in gate two.
A 10-time winner, Soap Opera looked set to be a force in the two-year-old division in 2023.
However, an issue in the week leading up to the Final resulted in her being scratched from the race.
At three, Weeks took the filly back to Menangle where she was successful in the Group 2 Breeders Blue Final, before finishing third in the Group 1 Challenge Final.
With no heats held this year for the four-year-old division, Soap Opera was an automatic acceptor for this week’s Group 3 Final.
Regular driver Angus Garrard will head south to partner with the mare, with the main dangers being the Rickie Alchin-trained pair of Golly Gee Fellas and Lux Aeterna and the Aleisha Gallagher-trained Luvareschs.
Get Used To It will also head to Menangle and will line up in the last race of the night for the Weeks and Garrard combination.
Get Used To It will start from barrier four.
Meanwhile, the Grant Dixon-trained three-year-old Path To Greatness will line up in the colts and geldings Challenge Final, with Robbie Morris to take the reins.
