Grimson team look biggest threats to Aussie champ

In what is starting to become a common theme, Jason Grimson looks the biggest danger to Leap To Fame in Saturday night’s $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup.

Grimson famously upstaged Leap To Fame with Swayzee in last year’s epic harness racing Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.

The Menangle horseman then caused an even bigger upset when he trained District Attorney to gun-down Leap To Fame in the Group 3 Patrons Purse at Redcliffe about four months ago.

Even in three of Leap To Fame’s mega wins over the past 10 months – Brisbane Inter Dominion final, Miracle Mile and Blacks A Fake – Grimson’s has been his major rival.

Grimson will have at least four, maybe even five runners in this Victoria Cup.

The locks are Swayzee, Major Moth and District Attorney.

Nerano should also make the 12-horse cut-off.

The seven-year-old was one of the stars of last year’s Brisbane Inter Dominion series with two heats wins, second in the other and a luckless fifth in the final.

After a later start to this year, Nerano posted his fourth win from 12 starts in 2024 when he easily beat free-for-all rivals over 2300m at Menangle last Saturday night.

Importantly, Nerano beat Swayzee in the Lucky Creed on June 22 and ran a good fourth in the Group 1 Sunshine Sprint.

Against that, he only ran fourth in the Blacks A Fake.

Curly James is borderline despite finishing a close third to Leap To Fame in last Saturday night’s Smoken Up Sprint.

Although Grimson will have the numbers, has he got the cattle to beat Leap To Fame?

Remembering, since Leap To Fame finished a close third in last year’s Victoria Cup, he has raced 21 times for 19 wins, a second (to District Attorney) and a luckless fourth (when buried in traffic) at Albion Park.

There is NO doubt he is a lot better than 12 months ago.

Depending on the draw, Swayzee still clearly looks Grimson’s best horse and chance of beating Leap To Fame.

He’s certainly the most important because Swayzee has proven he can “rough it” with Leap To Fame.

Sure, Leap To Fame has emphatically won their past three clashes, but Swayzee has been very brave on each occasion.

Major Moth and District Attorney have some X-factor, albeit in different ways.

Both have terrific gate speed should they draw to use it.

Major Moth showed he loves to lead and bowl when he won the Kilmore Cup last time, making it four wins from just five starts for Grimson.

District Attorney has a wicked turn of speed, as he showed when sat behind Leap To Fame and “zapped” him in the Patrons Purse.

Of course, the race goes deeper than that with the likes of Catch A Wave, Better Eclipse and Captain Ravishing at the top of their games.

But you get the feeling how the marbles fall – especially for the Grimson runners – will hugely shape what sort of Victoria Cup we have.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Victoria