Captains Mistress NZ winning the 2026 Rising Sun
CHAMPION driver Cam Hart thinks he has found another horse to dethrone the great Leap To Fame.
Hart has famously teamed with mighty stayer Swayzee to beat Leap To Fame in three Group 1 races and thinks he can do it again with freakish mare Captains Mistress in the $1 million Ladbrokes Inter Dominion pacing final on July 18.
Captains Mistress made it 10 wins from 11 starts for trainer Jason Grimson, the same man who trains Swayzee, when she blitzed a stunning field in last night’s $350,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park.
Her 1min50.3sec mile rate for 2138m took a remarkable 0.7sec off Leap To Fame’s track record.’
And the win landed her a golden ticket into the Inter Dominion final.
“I’m excited about racing him (Leap To Fame) again and this mare is good enough to beat him,” Hart said. “It’s her speed, she’s just so fast.
“I think I could lead and beat him, but I think my best chance is to try and sit just off him and use her speed.
“She was incredible tonight. It’s a relief in some ways because this has been a plan for so long, win this race and get her into the Inter Dominion final.
“The speed she possesses is wicked and I think she’ll stay the 2680m, too. She’s run it in Melbourne, albeit against the mares, but she ran super time that night.”
Leap To Fame kept his perfect Inter Dominion record intact when he worked to the front and emphatically won his opening round heat of the series over a gallant Nyack last night.
Grant Dixon’s seven-year-old has now won all six heats and both finals he has contested across three Inter Dominion series’ (2023, ’25 and last night).’
Dixon knows Captains Mistress will now be an enormous threat in the final.
“We’re going to have to be very good to beat her the way she went tonight,” he said. “I always felt this was a year the Rising Sun could be a factor in the Inter Dominion and she’s shown why.”
Leap To Fame is renowned for building through an Inter Dominion series.
“We’ll need to, but she doesn’t have to. She only needs to run up to that win tonight and we’ll have our work cut out. It (winning the final) has got a lot harder after what she did tonight.”
Leap To Fame should win his second round heat despite a wide draw (gate six) next Saturday night.
He is $1.45 to win a third Grand Final, while Captains Mistress firmed from $6 to $4.50 second favourite.
Queensland remains favourite to win both Inter Dominion final after the brilliant trotter Gus cruised to victory in his opening round heat for husband and wife, Pete McMullen and Chantal Turpin.
Gus’ win and the underwhelming performance of boom comeback mare Susan Is Her Name saw Gus firmed even more from $1.55 to $1.30 for the $500,000 trotting final on July 18.
The fresh player in the trotting final will be exciting Victorian mare Jilliby Dreamlover, who brilliantly won last night’s $150,000 Group Great Square for trainers Marg and Paddy Lee.
“Credit goes to Jase (Jason Lee) for a fantastic tactical driver,” said Paddy Lee. “As long as she pulls up well, she’ll go to the Inter Dominion.”
Despite their two stable stars Keayang Zahara and Jilliby Ballerini missing the series, Team Lee is still set for two genuine final players in Jilliby Dreamlover and the 2024 Grand Final third placegetter Keayang Stuka.
SECOND ROUND INTER DOMINION BARRIER DRAWS
PACERS
HEAT 4
Front row: Hot And Treacherous, Cya Art, Darin, Path To Greatness, Triedtotellya, Leap To Fame, Birkirkara.
Back row: The Janitor, Captain Ravishing, Hector, Max Delight
HEAT 5
Front row: Tiger Bandwagon, Call To Order, Captains Knock, Speak The Truth, Jimartee, Kanena Provlima, Cheerstolou.
Back row: Dashing, Amami, Tyson, Minos
HEAT 6
Front row: Dangerous, Fighter Command, Whos Delight, Nyack, District Attorney, Tims A Trooper, Attachment.
Back row: Ubetcha Tigerpie, Sweet On Lexy, War Dan Buddy, Bay Of Biscay
TROTTERS
HEAT 3
Front row: Gotfeelingsyouknow, Arcee Phoenix, Parisian Artiste, Gus, Remus Phoenix, Majestic Lavros, Love Gun.
Back row: Toro Stride, Hide And Seek, Rockinwithattitude, London To A Brick, Im Bobby.
HEAT 4
Front row: Mufasa Metro, Aldebaran Acrux, Zealous Spur, Speedy Lover, Lovemeto, Aldebaranstilinski, Not As Promised.
Back row: Golden Sunset, Susan Is Her Name, Keayang Stuka, Ikigai, Rakero Blaze
PHOTOS: Toby Coutts
