Leap To Fame set for showdown with Kingman

Champion pacer Leap To Fame is on his way to Victoria to chase a new $1 million bonus and a second Hunter Cup crown.

Trainer-driver Grant Dixon has crafted a meticulous travel plan to negotiate the marathon road trip from his Tambourine stables to Shepparton for Saturday night’s $50,000 Gold Cup.

“I’ve put a fair bit of thought into it. That’s why we left so early. We’ll do the trip from our stables to Menangle and have a day or so there (at Robbie and KerryAnn Morris’ stables),” he said.

“Instead of staying at Melton like we normally do in Victoria, we’ll go from Menangle to Shepparton and stay with Nathan Jack.

“The fact our first target is in Shepparton is a big reason we’re going to Victoria earlier than planned and having a go at the bonus. It’s a couple of hours less travel from Menangle (than Melton).”

To win the bonus, Leap To Fame will need to win at least four of the five remaining legs in the Victorian Summer of Glory series, including the $250,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup on February 14.

“We’ll keep giving him the chance to win it, if he keeps winning,” Dixon said.

“So, if he wins at Shepparton, he’ll go to the Ballarat Cup a week later. The same with Ballarat, if he wins it, he’ll run for a third week in a row in the Cranbourne Cup.

“That’s plan anyway. If he wins this week, we’ll then move him to Melton (Clinton Welsh’s stables) for the rest of his stay (in Victoria).”

Leap To Fame is already Australasia’s all-time richest pacer with his 61 wins from just 78 starts netting $5,019,359.

To win at Shepparton on Saturday, he will need to do something Leap To Fame has not done yet.

In a small but select field of five, his major rival will be Luke McCarthy’s new pacing sensation Kingman, who will be favourite after drawing to lead from gate one. Leap To Fame has barrier three.

The pair has met just twice with Kingman beating Leap To Fame into third place in the Group 1 Victoria Cup on October 18 and second spot in the Group 1 NZ Cup on November 11.

But Kingman was below his best when beaten for the first time in six starts when a first-up third to amazing veteran Bulletproof Boy in last Saturday night’s Bendigo Cup at Melton.

“I’m not reading too much into that, though,” Dixon said. “They’re only flesh and blood and it was really hot, he had to travel from Sydney and it was very smoky, too.

“I see Luke’s left him down in Victoria for the week instead of going home, so I’m sure he’ll be back to his best at Shepparton.”

Leap To Fame’s two losses to Kingman sparked speculation the seven-year-old may not be as dominant as has been, but three wins and a massive second to Don Hugo in the Blacks A Fake since the NZ Cup have quelled that.

“He’s been so good since coming home, that’s why we changed our minds and decided to have a go at the (Victorian) bonus,” Dixon said.

“He came through that Christmas Cup win (December 13) really well, so we decided to use that latest run as the guide to Victoria. He ticked all the boxes.”

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Victoria