Leap To Fame Superb in Sunshine Sprint

PACING sensation Leap To Fame’s first step into Group 1 open-age racing was supposed to be a challenge, but he swept it aside like most other things in his stellar career so far.

And now he looks to have Queensland’s biggest race, next Saturday night’s $400,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake, at his mercy. He is $1.50 ahead of Monday’s barrier draw.

Leap To Fame overcame a wide barrier, a somewhat unsuitably short distance (1660m) and a checkered passage to treat his older, more seasoned rivals with contempt last night.

It was his 22nd win from just 29 starts and fuelled claims by a growing army of respected participants and experts that he is the best pacer in the world.

Champion driver Chris Alford, who was at Albion Park and won the Group 1 Golden Girl last night, was gobsmacked watching Leap To Fame.

“He is a monster. He’s got it all,” he said.

Things looked hairy for Leap To Fame and trainer-driver Grant Dixon 600m from home when he was third-last, had traffic around him and was still at least 15-20m off the leader, Betterzippit.

But Dixon’s drive was a mix of daring and genius to cut back inside the floundering Inter Dominion winner I Cast No Shadow and weave his way through traffic before unleashing the four-year-old at the 300m.

Leap To Fame did the rest, roaring past those in front of him and easily holding off seasoned Grand Circuit star Spirit Of St Louis, a dual Miracle Mile runner-up, to win easily in sparkling time.

“I’m super proud because he had to overcome a few difficulties in the run,” Dixon said.

“He’s got incredible strength, but great speed and a great will to win, too.”

Dixon explained his surprise decision to run in the Sunshine Sprint when the original plan was to have the week off and go to next Saturday’s Blacks A Fake.

“The Rising Sun didn’t take anything out of him and he felt so well,” he said. “We decided to keep him ticking over and the chance to adjust to this level (of racing).”

The extra 1020m of the Blacks A Fake (2680m compared to the 1660m of the Sunshine Sprint) will suit Leap To Fame more than any of his rivals.

He has raced beyond 2200m six times for five wins – three of those in major Derbys – and a close second to Captain Ravishing in a heat of the Victoria Derby before he turned the tables in the final.

Leap To Fame’s Sunshine Sprint win also saw his odds for the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2, slashed from $2.50 to $2.

Two of his major TAB Eureka rivals could also race next Saturday night.

Gun Victorian three-year-old The Lost Storm will dominate betting in the Group 1 Queensland Derby after two easy runs back from a long spell.

And Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave, who trialled impressively at Melton last Tuesday, could resume at Melton on Saturday night.

Catch A Wave hasn’t raced since beating the older horses in the Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 4.

The form line is fascinating given he beat Spirit Of St Louis in the Miracle Mile and that pacer ran a terrific second to Leap To Fame in the Sunshine Sprint.