It was the perfect entrée and each week will get bigger and better from here.

That’s the best way to describe last Saturday night where stars from three different states continued their build-ups to the huge riches across a string of great races at Albion Park next month.

While the backbone of the Carnival – dubbed the Queensland Constellations – is the Inter Dominion, there is so much more to it.

Derbys, Oaks, the Golden Girl for mares’, the Rising Sun for three and four-year-olds and the list goes on.

There was no bigger star on display last Saturday than Don Hugo.

The Miracle Mile, Inter Dominion and TAB Eureka winner obliterated his free-for-all rivals in a sizzling 1min49.6sec mile.

Don Hugo is two-from-two this campaign after a below par run in the Group 1 Race by betcha when a tiring fourth to Leap To Fame.

Luke McCarthy’s five-year-old looks sharp.

There was much to like about the way he really opened up and gaped his rivals to win by almost 17m.

But standing in his way of a successful Inter Dominion title defence is Leap To Fame, who is also two-from-two this campaign.

We’ll get to see Leap To Fame’s last lead-up run before the Inter Dominion when he runs at Albion Park next Saturday night.

Don Hugo’s preparation is complete. McCarthy wants to keep him fresh now with a three-week gap until round one of the Inter Dominion on July 5.

McCarthy also has high hopes for his exciting three-year-old Hesitate, who looked sharp winning first-up at Menangle last night.

He’s got the Group 1 double – Rising Sun and Queensland Derby – in his sights.

And, of course, McCarthy looks to have one hand on the Group 1 Golden Girl with Australia’s top mare, Eye Keep Smiling.

Beyond Leap To Fame, Dixon and his wife Trista showed their stable depth with a key treble at Albion Park last Saturday night.

Three-year-old Path To Glory booked a Rising Sun spot with his win, while recent stable addition, star Kiwi filly Captains Mistress, showed why she is prepost Queensland Oaks favourite when she thrashed older mares.

It’s added so much to this Queensland Carnival to have the great Kiwi trainer Mark Purdon and his son, Nathan, be part of it.

They’ve got just the two raiders – star trotter Oscar Bonavena and emerging three-year-old Rubira – both won impressively at Albion Park last Saturday night.

While Victoria’s stocks have thinned with setbacks to the likes of Always Hot and Very Pretty, trainers like Emma Stewart, Chris Svanosio and Andy Gath will be key players at Albion Park next month.

Stewart’s leading Rising Sun contender Bay Of Biscay won a Melton trial last week and set to resume, while two-year-olds like Cardigan Dan and Loucasso are bound for the $500,000 Protostar on July 12.

Svanosio has major Inter Dominion trotting hopeful Arcee Phoenix, who resumes next Saturday night at Melton.

His US-bred mare Aldebaran Acrux won so well at Melton last Saturday, she booked herself a trip north, too.

Gath will take Catch A Wave north and star trotter Callmethebreeze is likely to race a Melton on Saturday week as a decider for his plans.

Champion thoroughbred trainer John Hawkes has won lots of major Queensland races in his career, but will chase one this time as an owner.

His emerging three-year-old Seathestars, trained by Geoff Webster, looked fantastic winning at Melton last Saturday night and earned a tilt at the Group 1 Queensland Derby.

 

Photo: Club Menangle and Stu McCormick