Captains Mistress NZ and Leap To Fame in the 2026 Inter Dominion
CHAMPION pacer Leap To Fame will keep racing to keep alive the dream of Inter Dominion redemption at Albion Park next year.
Owner Kevin Seymour confirmed the rising eight-year-old, already a two-time Inter Dominion champion (2023 and ’25), would not retire to stud this year.
“Definitely not, the plan is to race on, but exactly what races is something we’ll take one step at a time at this stage of his career,” he said.
Given Leap To Fame will race on, he would not need to retire from racing until July next year were he is going to stand at stud in the 2027 breeding season.
It opens the door for him to chase more wins in mega races like the Hunter Cup, Miracle Mile, Cambridge slot race and Brisbane Inter Dominion next year.
“We’ve looked as far as ahead as the Blacks A Fake (Albion Park in December),” Seymour said. “That’s the only definite target, provided he comes through his little break well and is good at the time.
“We would also love to take him back to try to win the NZ Cup (November in Christchurch) because it’s such an iconic race, and the one really big race to have escaped him so far, but there’s talk the prize money might be cut for it.
“If they slash the NZ Cup prize money, he wouldn’t go. I also think it’s unlikely he would go to the Victoria Cup (Melton in October), so the Blacks A Fake would become his next major target.
“We’ll watch how things unfold with the NZ Cup situation before we make any final decisions.
“As far as next year goes, there’s lots of options, but we won’t look seriously at them until we get past the Blacks A Fake.
“As we’ve said all along, the horse comes first. The moment he tells us he’s had enough of racing, we will retire him.
“But, judging by his performances this year and again last Saturday night, he is certainly not telling us that yet.
“My job now is to work on my trainer-driver (Grant Dixon), who is very deflated.”
Seymour said he and wife, Kay, were overcome with pride after Leap To Fame’s monstrous run in defeat when a close second in record-breaking time to champion mare Captains Mistress in the Inter Dominion final.
“There wasn’t the slightest tinge of deflation, how could there be after a run like that?” he said.
“We were extremely proud of him for overcoming the obstacles he faced, coming from last and running a close second in a record time like that.
“To hear the crowd stand and cheer for him in the home straight and then give him a standing ovation as he returned to the stables (after the race), as an owner it makes you proud to be a Queenslander.”
Seymour gave huge credit to Captains Mistress for “doing what very few have been able to do”.
“Two great horses competing after such a hyped build-up and then to deliver a contest like that, I’m biased because I love the sport, but it’s the greatest thing I’ve witnessed for the development of harness racing. What a spectacle they put on,” he said.
“We got beaten by a champion mare who broke 37 years of history and deserves all the accolades, I couldn’t be happier for her owner, Mick Boots, who has poured so much into harness and has earned moments like that.
“It was a fitting result to one of the greatest races of all time.”
PHOTO: Toby Coutts
