Leap To Fame with Mick Price (Left) and Craig Newitt (Right)
GOLDEN Slipper-winning thoroughbred trainer Mick Price’s “crush” on champion pacer Leap To Fame has sparked a splurge into harness racing.
Price spent the past three weeks researching today’s Nutrien catalogue and went home with shares in three yearlings.
He paid $75,000 for a colt by The Storm Inside out of Art Major mare Caitlyn Clarke and $30,000 for an Art Major colt out of A Few Dollars More.
Additionally, Price also negotiated a 20 per cent share in the $100,000 Bettors Delight-Bamako Mali colt bought by Rob Watson’s Soho Standardbreds and going to Mick Stanley’s Menangle stable.
It is the third time Price has gone to harness yearling sales this year.
“You can thank Leap To Fame for me being here and buying my third pacer because I was at the A G Hunter Cup night on a table with Blake Shinn and Craig Newitt and went down to see the horses, where I love it most, and was absolutely taken by Leap To Fame,” Price said.
“There were a lot of people there before the race, but only me and Trista (Dixon) after the race talking about everything … the next day I bought my first (harness) horse.”
In February, he paid $18,000 for an Art Major colt out of Princess Sandel, who has joined the Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin stable.
“I had a crack at three at the Sydney sale, but was outbid on two. I got the other one, but it failed the scope so I went home empty-handed,” Price said.
“I’ve really grown to like the sport and the people.
“Training thoroughbreds is my job and I’ll try and find the next Leap To Fame in my spare time.”
Price said he and Clayton Tonkin were very impressed with the colt out of Caitlyn Clarke.
“He’s a most beautiful colt. Clayton and I loved him,” he said.
Caitlyn Clarke, who won eight races, has had two foals to race: Tough Shaz (nine wins so far) and I Am The Storm (three wins so far).
Price will have horses in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
“I’ll definitely have one with Trista and Grant Dixon, too, after Trista was so generous with her time on Hunter Cup night telling me about Leap To Fame after his Hunter Cup run,” he said.
“I was going to buy a yearling for them, but they’ve found a tried horse in NZ for me.”
Leap To Fame hasn’t been beaten in four starts since Price watched him run second in the Hunter Cup, including the Miracle and last Friday night’s epic Race by Sport Nation win at Cambridge.
“I put it on my twitter that he was having his 87th start and had all my staff watching and they were texting me afterwards,” Price said.
“It’s amazing … he just exploded. It’s like watching a modern day Phap Lap.
“We’re privileged to experience that horse in our time.”
Leap To Fame returns home to Queensland this week for a freshen-up before chasing a third Inter Dominion crown at Albion Park in July.
Owner Kevin Seymour has delighted fans by confirming the seven-year-old will race for another instead of being retired to stud.
PHOTO: Mick Price and Craig Newitt with Leap To Fame - courtesy of Gareth Hall
