NOBODY knows how to beat Leap To Fame better than Luke McCarthy and he is plotting to do it again in Queensland’s biggest race on Saturday night.
McCarthy has beaten Leap To Fame three times this year with two different horses and hopes a barrier draw can help him make it four in the $250,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.
McCarthy trains and drives Don Hugo, who upstaged Leap To Fame in the Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 8.
Since then, McCarthy’s new star Kingman has upstaged Leap To Fame in two of the sport’s marquee races, the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 18 and the Group 1 NZ Cup in Christchurch on November 11.
Don Hugo, primed after three runs back from a spell, has the advantage of a front row draw (gate four) while Leap To Fame will have to overcome the back row (gate 10) as he tries to defend his Blacks A Fake crown.
Despite the draws, Leap To Fame remains a $1.50 favourite with Don Hugo at $3.20. The other key runner is emerging Queensland star The Janitor at $4.80 from his back row draw (gate 12).
“We’ve got our chance now,” McCarthy said. “We really needed to get a barrier advantage over the champ, especially around Albion Park, and it’s landed that way.
“I’ve been really happy with Don’s three runs back, he’s built each time and the plan was always to have him right at his top for this race.”
After strong placings at Menangle and Wagga, Don Hugo ran fourth to Hi Manameisjeff with The Janitor second in last week’s Sunshine Sprint.
“It was always going to be hard from our (bad) draw and it got harder the way the race was run,” McCarthy said.
“The leaders ran home in the quickest last half ever run at the track and we had to come wide from the back and still hit the line really well.
“He’s right on target and we’ve got our chance now from the draw.”
McCarthy opted to take on Leap To Fame again instead of the easier option of staying in NSW for the second leg of the NSW Carnival of Cups at Newcastle on Friday night.
Leap To Fame, who boasts 58 wins from 73 starts, finds himself in the usual situation of having been beaten at three of his past five starts.
He hasn’t raced since returning to winning form in the Group 1 NZ free-for-all at Addington on November 14.
Leap To Fame will certainly appreciate returning home to Albion Park where he has won 23 races in succession since his last defeat at the track on November 4, 2023.
The other star of Saturday night’s meeting, freakish Victorian trotting mare Keayang Zahara, started the 24-hour road trip from Terang to Brisbane last night (Monday).
The four-year-old is being touted as one of the best trotters this part of the world has seen with 20 starts netting 19 wins and a second.
Keayang Zahara is $1.10 favourite despite a back row draw (gate nine) to win her 10th Group 1 race in Saturday night’s $150,000 Great Square.
· Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
