Look ahead to this weekend's harness racing action in our weekly preview, thanks to Darren Clayton.
Queensland-trained horses will look for a second night of domination at Menangle on Saturday night.
Group 1 glory is on the line for Gus in the Hammerhead Trotters Mile, Fire And Passion in the New South Wales Derby and in the Grand Circuit Miracle Mile, Leap To Fame and The Janitor will chase victory the $1 million event.
A total of eight races will be decided at Albion Park on Saturday night, complemented by seven races on Friday and eight races from Marburg on Sunday afternoon.
FRIDAY FIND
Race three - Miki Moo. Buried in the run when the race was dictated from the front at her first Queensland outing, this looks within reach.
SATURDAY SPECIAL
Race seven - Draw A Dream. Big gate improvement moving to the front line and has the speed to take advantage of it.
INTRIGUING MARES CONTEST
Race three on Saturday night at Albion Park is for the open mare’s and it looks set to be a great contest.
While Leap To Fame has been a clear pick as the best male pacer in the open ranks over the past three seasons, the title as Queensland’s best mare in that time has never been held longer than a few months.
On current form and performances, the title is arguably held by the Gemma Hewitt-trained Post Painter.
The five-year-old will run from barrier three on Saturday.
A winner in four of her five starts this season, the daughter of Terror To Love has displayed a mix of power, grit and pure speed in each of her wins.
The most recent victory was a new best.
Pete McMullen took the reins during the Ultimate Driver Championship and she circled the field from gate 10 in 1.51.4 for the mile.
However, she will not have it all her own way this week, with Rickie Alchin sending his star mare Lux Aeterna north from Menangle.
Since winning the Forever Gold Mares back in December, Lux Aeterna has tackled a strong Fee For All race at Menangle, the Group 1 Queen of The Pacific at Melton and the Newcastle Mile at her last start.
A two-time Albion Park winner, the five-year-old gains the draw advantage over Post Painter and will start one spot to her left in barrier two.
Tremendous Sensation was the form mare at the end of 2025, posting seven successive victories including a 1.50.8 win in the Queen of The Creek prior to her third behind Lux Aeterna in the Forever Gold.
The Trent Lethaby-trained mare is winless in four starts this season and faces a tough ask from outside the second line if she is to bounce back to winning form.
Platinum Jewel has won four of eight this season and been runner-up twice.
From gate one, Platinum Jewel could be the knockout hope.
The five-year-old gives Gemma Hewitt a definite one-two chance.
GUS SHOOTS FOR GLORY
Keayang Zahara has only been defeated once in her 27-start career.
There is a connection to Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen with Keayang Zahara’s only defeat by the mare Susan Is Her Name.
The pair completed all the early education and preparation with Susan Is Her Name and trained her to a pair of victories before she was sent south.
Turpin and McMullen will be hoping to deliver a second defeat in this week’s Hammerhead Trotters Mile when Gus clashes with the champion mare for the first time.
With coming-of-age victories to sweep New Zealand Cup week, Gus has been clinical in two victories since resuming this season.
The seven-year-old will need to be at his peak to overcome gate 10.
Keayang Zahara will run from gate four, while Jilliby Ballerini, a multiple Group-winning mare, has drawn the three.
DIXON’S DERBY
Grant Dixon will be chasing a third New South Wales Derby victory when Fire And Passion steps out in Saturday’s Group 1 event.
It is the first time the Derby has been run at the mile.
Dixon has previous wins in the race which include 1994 with Jeremy Lee and 2022 with Leap To Fame.
Fire And Passion is the reigning Queensland two-year-old of the year and was beaten on the wire in last week’s qualifiers by Soho Carmer after leading every stride bar the last.
Drawn gate two, Fire And Passion will start outside heat winner Showmethetanlines, who will run from one.
The other heat winners, Zeus Lightning and Hollywood Strip, have drawn five and 10, respectively.
Brad Hewitt’s star three-year-old Hollywood Strip is unbeaten in seven career starts.
Despite being the quickest of the three qualifying winners, Hollywood Strip will need to produce a career-best performance to overcome the outside gate.
CONSOLATION FOR SPEAK THE TRUTH
Listed as the second emergency for the Miracle Mile, Speak The Truth will line up in the Light Horse FFA.
Drawn gate two, Shannon Price will potentially have two runners in the FFA.
Final Deadline will start from the outside gate and provide Price with two runners in the event for the second consecutive year.
Adam Sanderson will take the reins aboard Speak The Truth with Luke McCarthy to partner Final Deadline.
Teenager Layne Dwyer will attempt to deliver an upset aboard the Donny Smith-trained Cheerstolou.
Speak The Truth, who finished third behind Leap To Fame in the 2024 mile, was sixth in the 2025 FFA which was won by Dont Stop Dreaming.
Speak The Truth is currently on the third line of betting behind Rakero Rocket and Hi Manameisjeff.
