Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.
Just two months of the racing season remain and the action is starting to build towards the revamped The Starlights, which is already attracting plenty of well-known and emerging talents.
Across three meetings this weekend in Queensland, 29 races will be decided with a mammoth 11-race card starting the feast on Friday night from Albion Park.
Interstate, the Grant Dixon-trained Fate Awaits will complete his preparations for an upcoming New Zealand trip when he steps out at Melton on Saturday in the second race of the night.
GET ON
Sheza Chance.
Albion Park on Saturday in race three.
This mare looks well placed from the front-line tape and comes into this contest with wins at her past three in succession.
THE JANITOR FACES TOUGH CHALLENGE
Leap To Fame is the best horse in Queensland but which horses round out the top five in the Sunshine State?
In race two on Saturday night at Albion Park, The Janitor, Wisper A Secret and Aroda will all do battle.
Form and recent performances suggest that they are the next three in the unofficial rankings.
The Janitor has made big inroads this season as a four-year-old and was impressive when winning over the mile at his last start, dominating with a 1.51.5 rate.
That was his first appearance following a monstrous effort in the Len Smith Mile where he struck trouble on multiple occasions, paced roughly and yet was still able to beat some runner's home.
The Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen stable believe he is the best pacer in their barn and the four-year-old will need to show that this week if he is to overcome gate seven.
Stablemate to The Janitor - Wisper A Secret - will line up from barrier 10 on Saturday night off the back of a last start victory in 1.51.3.
Saturday will be the first time that the pair have met in the same race.
The five-year-old Wisper A Secret was able to win The Rising Sun in his four-year-old season, which is a race that The Janitor was narrowly defeated in.
If the Turpin pair rank two and three, the Grant Dixon-trained Aroda likely forced his way into the top five with victory over the 2138 metre journey last week.
Runner-up in two runs back from a spell, the five-year-old achieved something that very few pacers have been able to do in recent seasons, hold out Turn It Up into the first turn.
Partnered by Trista Dixon, who will again take the reins this week, Aroda was driven hard off the arm and had the speed to hold the front, blazing the lead time in 34.8 seconds.
Despite the early burn, Aroda was able to see it out for his 13th Albion Park victory.
If he can hold the fastest pacer off the gate in Queensland out last week, then we can expect him to be leading here in the early stages.
Who steps up?
UNOFFICIAL MARES TITLE AGAIN UP FOR GRABS
With recent retirements and sales, the title of the best mare in Queensland appears to be once again wide open.
Despite tackling a modest qualifying event this Saturday night, the Michael Brennan-trained Coastal Babe boasts the most stake earnings of any mare in training in the state and will be out to put at least one hoof on the unofficial title.
The 2024 Victorian Oaks champion when prepared by Steve Reid, the mare joined the Luke McCarthy stable for two starts before transferring to Brennan back in July.
Limited to just three starts this season, the mare will tackle race seven on Saturday night where she will be second-up for Brennan.
Starting a long odds-on favourite on October 18 at her first appearance for the new stable, Coastal Babe was forced to sit parked, fighting hard over the closing stages but ultimately finishing a neck from the winner, Reely Nauti.
The added fitness that can be expected from the first-up performance and drawing the gate to again press forward from the start, it can be expected that the four-year-old will once again start favourite.
If there is to be a challenge, the well-drawn Our Princess secures the barrier to potentially cause the upset.
Recently joining the Shawn Grimsey stable, the mare could only manage fifth last start over the 2138 metre trip.
However, back to the mile and the improved barrier will assist the claims of the mare who will this week be driven by Pete McMullen.
FERNCO TO BOUNCE BACK
The final race of the night is an interesting three-year-old contest on Saturday.
The Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen stable prepare three of the eight acceptors, who will all start from the widest three front line barriers.
Basilisk Bob will start from five with Angus Garrard to take the reins, Rakasandy in six for Tom Callagahn, while McMullen will stick with the impressive Fernco Nel from seven.
With five wins from eight starts since arriving in Queensland, Fernco Nel looks a progressive juvenile in the making.
Responsible for a big performance last week when running second to Tremendous Sensation, the gelding should appreciate a return to his own age, which is something he has only been able to do once at Albion Park.
That resulted in a third placing behind recent Victorian Derby runners, Final Deadline and Fate Awaits.
Demon Blue resumes from a spell after his last race appearance in the Queensland Derby back in July and has drawn well in gate two for Grant and Trista Dixon.
The gelding has been to the trials once in readiness for the return, but in an interesting preparation, that trial was back on September 30, which could see him in need of the run.
The Wayne Graham-trained Braventreacherous has excellent gate speed and from barrier three the last start winner should be able to find a forward position which would boost his chances.
I Got Chills is the lone second line runner and like many other three-year-olds at this time of year, has been performing well against older company.
Taking on his own age cohort should be a boost for the gelding that has a 1.51.7 mile win to his name.
