Captains Mistress winning the 2026 Chariots Of Fire
SUPERSTAR driver Cam Hart knows better than anyone how to beat the great Leap To Fame.
But he heads into this Brisbane Inter Dominion without his usual accomplice, champion stayer Swayzee. The pair have upstaged Leap To Fame in three major races.
With Swayzee sidelined by injury, Hart’s hopes will largely sit with champion mare Captains Mistress.
He may also drive her Jason Grimson-trained stablemates, Dangerous and Minos, through the heats, which start on Saturday night.
The equation for Captains Mistress is new and fascinating.
She won’t contest the qualifying heats of the series, but through a “golden ticket” initiative, Captains Mistress can “win her way” into the $1 million Ladbrokes Inter Dominion final on July 18 by winning this Saturday night’s $300,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park.
It would be the first time in the storied history of the Inter Dominion a horse has contested the final without going through the qualifying heats.
To ensure she has as many “qualifying” runs as her possible Grand Final rivals, Captains Mistress would have to tackle a race for four-year-olds at Albion Park on Saturday week (July 11), the same night as the second round of heats.
Naturally, Hart loves the concept.
“It’s actually been the plan all along,” he said. “Jase (Grimson) is really confident she can win the Rising Sun and go onto the Inter Dominion and be a huge factor in it, too.
“You’d have to say she looks right on target after that trial (at Albion Park) last Thursday.”
Captains Mistress trailed stablemate Dangerous and hit the line hard-held on his back in a scorching 1min 48.3sec mile rate for 1660m, which unofficially took 0.3sec off Leap To Fame’s track record.
“She’s a freak. How can you be pulling behind a horse when they’re breaking 26sec down the back (straight)? That’s just her. She’s amazing. She is so fast,:” Hart said. “I’ve never driven a horse like her for speed.”
Captains Mistress is $1.45 to win the Rising Sun and $6 third favourite behind Leap To Fame ($1.70) and The Janitor ($5) for the Inter Dominion final.
She has met Leap To Fame just once and it wasn’t a fair fight. While Leap To Fame did a power of work and won in great style in the Miracle Mile on March 14, Captains Mistress was badly held up in traffic and never saw daylight.
Grimson was adamant she would’ve won with clear running.
But to get another crack at Leap To Fame, Captains Mistress will have to overcome the strongest Rising Sun field in the race’s short but remarkable history.
Boom Kiwi four-year-old Marketplace, Australia’s best three-year-old Hollywood Strip, brilliant last-start Redcliffe Cup winner Final Deadline and last year’s TAB Eureka runner-up Fox Dan are the major rivals.
In a huge boost for the series, the Seven Network confirmed it would showcase all three nights of the Inter Dominion.
Grand Final night (July 18) will be on 7Two, while the first two rounds of heats (July 4 and 11) will be on 7Plus.
Experienced host and passionate harness racing man Ryan Phelan will anchor the cover, along with the popular Brittany Graham. NZ expert Greg O’Connor and Queensland form guru Darren Clayton will join them.
“With the great Leap To Fame chasing more history in such a fantastic series, we are thrilled to partner with the Seven Network to take the action to an even bigger audience,” said Mitch Jones, Racing Queensland’s EGM Marketing and Communications.
“The Inter Dominion is such an iconic event with so much history behind it and with Leap To Fame as the headline act, you’ve got a horse who has transcended the sport and engaged a broader sporting following.”
Photo courtesy of Club Menangle/Racepix
