CHAMPION pacer Leap To Fame’s one-race losing streak should come to end from an ideal barrier draw in Saturday night’s $100,000 Cranbourne Cup.
The superstar six-year-old was beaten for just the second time in 24 starts since November 4, 2023 when he did all the work and finished just a half-head behind his half-brother Swayzee in last Saturday night’s Hunter Cup at Melton.
Just as he did last year, trainer-driver Grant Dixon has opted to back him up at Cranbourne as a stepping stone towards his next major target, the $1 million Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 8.
In contrast to an awkward inside back row draw last week, Leap To Fame has drawn perfectly in barrier two at Cranbourne and is a $1.10 favourite to go back-to-back in Victoria’s strongest country cup.
Despite last week’s gruelling run and Melbourne’s heatwave early this week, Dixon said the six-year-old had thrived since the Hunter Cup.
“He seems bright and really well in himself,” he said. “He’s amazing like that, he seems to just bounce out of those hard runs and be looking for the next one.
“This will be his fourth run in as many weeks, but he’s thrived on that before.
“It really suits his schedule to go around this week then have two weeks until the Newcastle Mile. It worked so well last year, it makes sense to do the same again.”
Despite the betting, Dixon still expects a real contest at Cranbourne.
“Yes, it’s not as strong as the Hunter Cup, but there’s some nice horses in it,” he said. “Tact McLeod wasn’t far from us last week and he looks like he’s on the way up. Dont Stop Dreaming ran on well last week and old Bulletproof Boy is flying, but he’s drawn badly like we did last week.
“It won’t be a walk in the park, but I couldn’t have asked any more of him last week and all the signs are that he’ll be at least as good this week.”
Dixon said Leap To Fame would return to his Queensland base after Cranbourne.
“We did that last year and just took him back down to Newcastle for their race,” he said. “He loves it at home and there’s plenty of green grass there, even at this time of year.
“There’s two weeks between Cranbourne and Newcastle then another two weeks from Newcastle to the Miracle Mile. The more time we can get back at home, the better.”
Beyond the Miracle Mile, Leap To Fame’s owners Kevin and Kay Seymour have bought a slot in the $NZ1mil Race by Betcha at Cambridge on April 4.
“We’ve had him set for two trips to NZ, including Cambridge last year, but he hasn’t made it across yet,” Kevin Seymour said.
“It’s an important missing piece for him, to win one of NZ’s biggest races. At some stage we’ll retire him to stud and there’s huge value for the NZ market if they’ve seen him go over there and win one of their really big races.”
Seymour said he was already itching for another clash with Swayzee.
“We’ve got to prove who the best horse is in this part of the world,” he said. “We’ve got a 3-2 lead, but beating us in the Hunter Cup has left us wanting another crack at him.”
Given their different paths in coming months, July’s $1 million Inter Dominion final at Albion Park looks the next likely clash.
