Photo by Dan Costello
CHAMPION pacer Leap To Fame is healthy again and back in work just days before he was supposed to be defending his Inter Dominion crown.
A niggling throat infection robbed the $3.2 million-earner the chance to tackle the last three big races of 2024, the Victoria Cup, NZ Cup and Inter Dominion final.
Despite that, Leap To Fame still enjoyed a remarkable year with 16 starts for 15 wins, a second and almost $1.5 million in earnings. His major wins included the Miracle Mile, Hunter Cup and Blacks A Fake.
Although a fit and primed Leap To Fame would have dominated betting in Saturday night’s Inter Dominion final at Menangle, trainer-driver Grant Dixon is looking ahead.
“It’s disappointing, yes, but you’ve also got to think how we’ve gone through the two years before this setback without an issue at all,” he said.
“This setback was frustrating because it took a while to work out exactly what it was, but he’s fine now and back in work.
“We’ll get a few weeks of work into him and then map out what races we’ll start to target.”
The logical first major target is a Hunter Cup defence at Melton in February, then comes the Miracle Mile at Menangle a month later.
What makes missing this Inter Dominion final a little easier for Dixon and Leap To Fame’s owners, Kevin and Kay Seymour, is that a change in venue and format means the next Inter Dominion is only seven months away … and in their own backyard.
Brisbane’s Albion Park will host the next three Inter Dominions, the first of them culminating with finals on July 19, next year.
“It’s great for us, but it’s also great for the future of the Inter Dominion and the sport,” Kevin Seymour said.
“It’s harness racing’s greatest and most iconic event and it needed some love.”
The move to Albion Park will also see a significant prize money boost, with the pacing final up from $500,000 to $1 million and the trotting decider boosted to $400,000 from $150,000.
The full format for the series will be released in coming weeks, but Albion Park officials have already confirmed a reduction from three to two rounds of qualifying heats, which better suits the more refined and modern harness breed.
With Leap To Fame missing, Queensland’s lone hope in Saturday night’s pacing Grand Final is the Cristina Monte-trained Jimartee, who will be driven by Ricky Thurlow and is a $101 outsider from barrier seven.
