Punters toast Leap To Fame

Racegoers were the big winners after champion pacer Leap To Fame (Bettors Delight) completed back to back harness racing wins in the Group 1 $200,000 Garrards Sunshine Sprint at Albion Park.

Leap To Fame worked to the lead and driver Grant Dixon opted to turn the mile feature into a staying test with District Attorney camped on his back.

Leap To Fame rolled along returning a first half sectional of 56.4 before reeling off a 53.8 last 400 metres in a slick mile rate of 1:50.0.

On the line he held a three metre margin over District Attorney with Hi Manameisjeff a further five metres away third.

Dixon admitted he was determined not to turn the race into a sit sprint affair after District Attorney ran him down at Redcliffe a fortnight ago.

“It was pretty windy out there tonight and I wasn’t going to sit up and allow District Attorney, who got there quite comfortably, to do what he did at Redcliffe,” Dixon said.

LEAP TO FAME REPLAY

Dixon said he expected Leap To Fame to run his rivals off their legs.

“After he ran the first quarter on the bit I knew he’d be able to run his next three pretty solid,” he said. 

Dixon conceded the winner concentrates better when chasing other horses.

“When he sits outside them he is happy to try and get over the top of them but when he’s in front he’d rather one get up outside him and keep coming at him,” he said.

The win was Leap To Fame’s 10th Group 1 success and takes his career stake earnings to just shy of $3m.

Prior to the race, Leap To Fame’s owner Kevin Seymour announced he would ‘shout the bar’ at Albion Park should his champion pacer salute.

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink