Albion Park Harness Racing Club in Queensland, Australia has taken on an international flavour this weekend.

Canadian driver Serge Masse made a flying visit to the sunshine state’s premier track on Friday and landed a winner when successful aboard the Grant Dixon-trained His Bluffen in the Egmont Park Stud Sprintlane Trotters Mobile. (Click here to watch the replay).

Masse, with more than 2,900 career driving victories in his native country, fired His Bluffen straight to the lead before the trotter scored a career-best effort in a time of 1:57.4 for the 1,660m trip.

The track record currently belongs to another Dixon-trained trotter in Our Overanova at 1:56.2.

Masse is currently on holidays ‘downunder’ and caught up with his good friend David Aldred from Racing Queensland who helped organize the drive.

“I have driven in New Zealand previously at Alexandra Park, but this is my first experience in Australia; it’s a wonderful country and it was great opportunity,” Masse said.

The lightweight reinsman is based at Fraser Downs on the west coast of Canada and has enjoyed tremendous success over a long period of time. Masse, a native of Quebec, started his harness racing career back in 1977 before moving west at the age of 24.

His best pacer was 2002 Western Canadian Pacing Derby champion Landmark Hall, who went on to win 49 races, earn a mark of 1:48.2, and bank more than $900,000 lifetime.

Meanwhile, another Canadian driver, Donald Dupont, made his first appearance at Albion Park on Saturday driving Hear The Call for trainer Grant Dixon in the The Secure Parking Pace over 1,660m.

Dupont, who finished seventh from a second tier post nine start, hones his skills at a number of tracks, but has enjoyed strong success at Pompano Park in Florida. He has enjoyed much success with the talented pacer Duc Dorleans.

(With files from Australian Harness Racing)