Summer Carnival heating up

Feature race action hits The Creek this Saturday night, with the running of the Group 2 Queensland Cup, Group 3 Forever Gold Mares, the Trotters Spring Sprint, along with the Bill Dixon, and three-year-old open events.

Golden Tickets will be on offer to the Inter Dominion in the Queensland Cup and Trotters Sprint, the winner of each gaining automatic entry to ID24 which will begin later this month in New South Wales.

Can Dumbo take off?

He may be the winner of over $400,000 in stakes, 27 career races, and hold the Albion Park track record over the mile, yet the biggest race the Chantal Turpin trained Blacksadance has won in his career is the Group 3 Be Good Johnny Sprint in 2022.

The seven-year-old, known as Dumbo around the Turpin/McMullen stables, has been plagued by bad barriers in feature races throughout his career, however this looks his chance to elevate his record to include the Group 2 Queensland Cup.

First up from a spell in last week’s sprint, the gelding savaged the line over the closing stages for a slashing second.

“We were super pleased last week, we just weren’t sure exactly where he was,” driver Pete McMullen said.

“Hitting the line that good was really pleasing.

“He is a horse that loves fast pace and that is what happened last week.”

A winner in strong time from the front over the 2138 metre trip at his last run before a spell in August, Blacksadance can make full use of his gate to press forward and keep the speed rolling.

A last start second in the Victoria Cup behind Swayzee keeps Curly James in contention, however the inside second line gate makes his mapping an intriguing puzzle.

Jack Callaghan will partner the six-year-old, racking up the frequent flyer points after driving at Perth’s Gloucester Park on Friday night in the WA Pacing Cup.

Curly James might be looking to get off the inside at the start, the likely map burying him should they opt to stay on the inside.

Jimartee is another that could be potentially snookered in the run, the Cristina Cini and Ricky Thurlow driven gelding also producing a strong first up effort in last week’s Be Good Johnny Sprint.

The Bill Dixon will be race 4 on the card, the sixth running of the race named to honour the Hall of Fame legend.

Having won the race several times, the Grant Dixon stable will have their hopes on another success resting with the Jack Chapple driven Watermelon Sugar.

“He has got a good draw, and he is back in grade. His last few starts he has been behind horses like Braedos Lad and Northview Hustler, so it is a drop in grade,” Chapple said.

The four-year-old has won just one race in eight starts since arriving from the South Island of NZ, but those have been in stronger races than this 60-75 graded contest.

“He has got a handy draw which will play into his favour. He has been racing well in harder grade, so I think he will appreciate the softer race, and I expect a good show from him.”

Race one on Saturday night is scheduled for 5.37pm, with the last on the bumper 10 race card to jump at 10.35.

BEST BETS

Chris Barsby- R4 N8 DUKE OF SCOTLAND: “I think this set up for this race, the Bill Dixon, looks tailor made for this horse. Mynamesevan fit, in form and drawn barrier one. If he leads, Duke Of Scotland will be right on his back, and I don’t think he will be able to hold him out.”

Darren Clayton- R8 N3 THE JANITOR: Back home after a luckless tilt at the Victorian Derby, the classy 3YO will come into this race fresh. An impressive winner in successive starts before the trip South, he is effective off speed and fresh up can be saved for one shot.