The TAB Eureka Countdown

As part of countdown series until the inaugural running of the $2.1mil
TAB Eureka, ADAM HAMILTON will update the key happenings around the
world’s richest harness race each week.

WHEN two huge offers came for Leap To Fame about a year ago, owners Kevin and Kay Seymour only had to look to the TAB Eureka for one almighty reason not to sell.

Not that they ever seriously considered any offers, but the timing of the inaugural $2.1mil TAB Eureka was ideal for Leap To Fame.

And now he is a commanding $2 favourite for the September 2 feature at Menangle.

Leap To Fame’s star grew even brighter – if that’s possible - when he made light of a wide draw, unsuitably short trip and an at times tricky run in transit to brilliantly win the $200,000 Group 1 Sunshine Sprint at Albion Park last Saturday night.

His first test in open-aged Group 1 racing proved yet another step towards super stardom fuelled talk he may be the best pacer in the world.

“I’m just so proud of him and he had to overcome a few difficulties in the run,” trainer-driver Grant Dixon said.

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

“He felt so well after winning the Rising Sun, we decided to back him up again to keep him ticking over and adjust to this level of racing.”

Leap To Fame will relish the stretch to 2680m in next Saturday night’s $400,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake and looks to have Queensland’s biggest race at his mercy.

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COULD we see Miracle Mile winner and leading TAB Eureka contender Catch A Wave race this week?

We will all be sweating on the Melton fields when they come out on Tuesday after watching Catch A Wave’s sparkling Melton trial win last Tuesday.

Trainer Andy Gath has been enjoying watching Leap To Fame’s dominance, but equally waiting to bring his best pacer back to try and beat him.

It will be pretty cool if Catch A Wave does resume this week on the same night Leap To Fame chases his biggest win in the $400,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.

Gath wants Catch A Wave to have three lead-up runs before the TAB Eureka.

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DRIVER Mark Pitt thinks awesome three-year-old The Lost Storm is the “dark horse” of the TAB Eureka.

The Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin-trained young gun looks to have Saturday night’s Group 1 Queensland Derby after two easy wins back from a long spell.

And the focus turns to the TAB Eureka where he will race in the TAB slot.

“He really is the dark horse of the Eureka,” Pitt said. “I know those four-year-olds are amazing, but he’s a little underrated at this stage.

“He was so sharp the other night. He did it in second gear, he doesn’t feel like he’s going as quickly as he is.

“He’s very strong as much as he is fast.”

The Lost Storm has raced just 11 times for nine wins, a second and a third.

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THERE is only one John Singleton and it was fantastic when he was one of the first to embrace the TAB Eureka concept and put his hand up for a slot.

And now we know how Singleton will decide what pacer runs in his slot.

Earlier today (Monday), it was revealed Singleton has worked with Club Menangle to create “The Singo”, a $50,000 race at Menangle on August 19.

Singleton will pick his slot runner from that race, but in true “Singo” style, it may not be the winner.

This should be fun.

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ONE-TIME TAB Eureka favourite Captain Ravishing adds so much intrigue to the race.

Sure, he lost some gloss with defeats in the Chariots Of Fire and Miracle Mile, but his best is outrageously good.

It’s well documented he is back with original trainer Ahmed Taiba and progressing well.

“July 26 is the key date from here,” Taiba said. “We’ll take him to Melton for a private workout, Greg Sugars will drive him and we’ll consult with him and make some concrete plans from there.”

Captain Ravishing has raced just 15 times for nine wins and has the remarkable distinction of having sat outside and beaten Leap To Fame in a heat of last year’s Victoria Derby.

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QUEENSLAND could challenge Victoria for most runners in the TAB Eureka.

Victoria leads the way with three confirmed starters at present with Catch A Wave, Captain Ravishing and The Lost Storm.

Leap To Fame has been joined by Shannon Price’s exciting Speak The Truth following his deserved and outstanding win in the inaugural $231,000 The Hayden at Albion Park last night.

It was Speak The Truth’s 11th win from just 19 starts and bounced-back quickly from the first finishing position worse than fourth in his career when seventh to Leap To Fame in the Rising Sun a week earlier.

There was lots to like about Speak The Truth finding plenty after sitting parked and ripping home in blistering splits to win The Hayden.

Another to press his case for a TAB Eureka slot last Saturday night was Tims A Trooper, a stablemate of Leap To Fame who has and probably always will live in his daunting shadow.

But Tims A Trooper ran almost the same time as Leap To Fame winning a support race and edged very close to $350,000 in career earnings.

There’s no doubt he’s gone to another level this season and there aren’t many other TAB Eureka contenders putting their hand up as impressively at Tims A Trooper in recent times.

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DON’T forget the TAB Eureka flavour extends to Tasmania early next month.

Tasracing, the state’s racing governing body, will be filled by the winner of the appropriately-named $80,000 The Beautide – named after Tassie bred and owned dual Inter Dominion winner Beautide - run in Hobart on August 5.