Speak The Truth winning last Saturday night
HIDDEN behind the hulking headlines of Leap To Fame is another remarkable local Queensland success story in Saturday night’s $1 million Ladbrokes Inter Dominion final.
Shannon Price and her assistant Scott Miller have just 17 horses in work and two of them – Speak The Truth and Sure Thing Captain – will take on Leap To Fame in the final.
“We’ve gone one better than the last Inter Dominion here, so that’s really pleasing,” Price said.
“We’re not a big stable, but we’ve always had good opinions of these two horses and set them for the series. To get them both through is certainly a thrill, especially in your hometown.”
Speak The Truth won a heat, finished third in another and then finished sixth to Leap To Fame in the 2023 Brisbane Inter Dominion final.
“Sure Thing Captain was still a bit of a baby with a lot to learn back then, but we always felt he has the sort of ability to take the next step,” Price said. “They’ve both peaked at the right time.”
Sure Thing Captain did what only Leap To Fame was able to do by winning both his qualifying heats on this series.
Speak The Truth was a luckless ninth on opening night, but lifted when needed and took advantage of a great barrier to lead throughout in his second heat and book a final berth.
“We had to hold our breath with him, but he deserves another crack at it,” Price said.
Stable driver Adam Sanderson has the choice of drives and Nathan Dawson is on the standby for the second runner.
As a Queenslander, Price, who trains at Alberton halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, has seen more of Leap To Fame than most and realistic enough to concede beating him is “very unlikely” on Saturday.
“We’ve tried many, many times before and failed,” she said. “We’ve had some luck through the heat wins by not having to race against him, but there’s no hiding this time.
“He’s amazing. We’ve had a birds-eye view from his early days up here. He’s as good as we’ve ever seen.”
Despite the awe, there will be no conceding to Leap To Fame if Speak The Truth can take advantage of another good draw (gate three) and find the lead.
“I guess most others will hand him the lead if they get there rather than him pressuring on the outside, but we won’t,” she said.
“We’ve had to sit outside him enough times to want to make him do it if we can find the front this time.
“I’m not saying we can beat him, but Speak The Truth loves it in front. He’s a great leader and that’s his best chance, rather than taking a trail.”
Price also admits Saturday night’s marathon 3157m distance, the longest Inter Dominion pacing final in modern history, is a query for her pair.
“Not just mine, but pretty much every horse in the race except Leap To Fame, I’d think,” she said.
“We just don’t get the chance to race over distances like that, especially in Brisbane. Speak The Truth is tough and I think he’ll be fine, but the key with Sure Thing Captain is for him to relax early, which has been an issue for him at times, but he’s matured a lot.
“Although Leap To Fame hasn’t run over the distance, I think everything feels the further the races, the better he’s suited.”
PHOTO: Dan Costello
