RISING star The Janitor showed why many think he can dethrone reigning champion Leap To Fame in the upcoming Brisbane Inter Dominion when he returned to racing with a dazzling Albion Park win last night.
First-up since a trip to NZ in April, The Janitor dashed away to win by 7.5m in a slick 1min53.2sec mile rate over 2138m.
It was his 16th win from just 26 starts at Albion Park with another five seconds and two thirds.
Trained by Chantal Turpin, The Janitor has served his apprenticeship with two fantastic minor placings behind the great Leap To Fame in Grand Circuit races over the past six months.
Last December he ran a close third to Don Hugo with Leap To Fame second in the Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.
But it was his slashing second to Leap To Fame in the $1 million Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 14 which really stamped his arrival.
While respectful of Leap To Fame, driver Pete McMullen lamented a possible lost opportunity in the Miracle Mile.
“They came out under me and pushed me wide at a crucial stage on the last bend and if that didn’t happen, I think I’d have gone close to beating him (Leap To Fame),” he said.
“He’s still not the complete package, but he’s getting there and hopefully this is his season.”
The Janitor then went to NZ to take on Leap To Fame again in the $NZ1 million Race by Sport Nation at Cambridge on April 10.
After brilliantly winning a lead-up race the week before, his inexperience proved costly when he galloped at the start of the April 10 feature and effectively lost all winning chance, He did a mighty job to run fifth in a race Leap To Fame romped home in.
“Instead of staying for some other big races over there, we took him straight back home for a freshen-up and to aim at the Inter Dominion,” McMullen said.
“We’ve always had a big opinion of the horse and it’s great to have a series like this at home (in Queensland) for him.”
The Janitor is $5 second favourite behind Leap To Fame ($1.60), who is chasing a third crown in the $1 million Ladbrokes Inter Dominion pacing final on July 18.
Leap To Fame showed he was primed for a racetrack return when he scorched a 1min49.4sec 1660m trial win at Albion Park last Tuesday.
The Janitor is one of two massive players Turpin and McMullen have in the Inter Dominion.
They also trained $2.50 trotting series’ favourite, Gus.
Like The Janitor, he went to Cambridge in April and ran third to champion mare Keayang Zahara in the $NZ530,000 TAB Trot.
Gus hasn’t raced since then, but McMullen said he was raring to go.
“It’s been wet here and there’s been some chopping and changing with trials, but he might trial Tuesday at Albion Park,” he said. “He’s right where we want him at this stage.
“It’s exciting to have the best team of horses we’ve had going into a big Carnival (Queensland Constellations) like this.”
Along with The Janitor, McMullen and Turpin also won two of the big Qbred Breeders finals at Albion Park last night.
Stripes, a daughter of former Inter Dominion champion Tiger Tara, toyed with her rivals in the 3YO fillies’ final, while two-year-old filly Shine Like Me was similarly impressive in her final.
