Shannon looks to avoid Fame

HAVING chased home Leap To Fame in the recent Inter Dominion harness racing final, Shannon Price wants to avoid the champion pacer whenever she can with stable star Speak The Truth (Bettor’s Delight).

Price will take Speak The Truth, a star in his own right with 19 wins from just 45 starts and $811,485 in earnings, interstate for one, maybe even two feature races.

“If Leap To Fame’s not going then we will be,” the Alberton-based trainer said.

“Speak The Truth has chased Leap To Fame up here for about three years now, he’s too good.

“So, when there’s a chance to run in big races without having to take him, we have to give it a shot.”

The first target is the Group 1 Len Smith Mile at Menangle on September 6.’

Not only will Price take Speak The Truth south, but high-class stablemate Sure Thing Captain will accompany him, too.

In fact, Sure Thing Captain, who won both his qualifying heats of the recent Inter Dominion series at Albion Park before a luckless eighth in the final, could be the better suited to the Len Smith, given it is a sprint race.’

“It’s hard to split my two. They’re both very good horses, but completely different,” Price said.

“Speak The Truth is a strong stayer and Sure Thing Captain is really fast and still learning what racing is all about.”

That’s why Speak The Truth was so well suited to the gruelling 3157m of the Inter Dominion final.

But Speak The Truth boasts some outstanding runs at the spacious 1400m Menangle track, including chasing home Leap To Fame again when third to him in last year’s $1mil Miracle Mile.

Beyond the Len Smith, Price will tackle the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 18.

Leap To Fame looks set to bypass both races as his connections eye-off another trip to NZ for the $NZ1mil NZ Cup on November 11.

Price said only one of her star pair would run in the Victoria Cup.

“One will go there and the other will come back home following the Len Smith to get ready for the big races like the Sunshine Sprint and Blacks A Fake here (Brisbane) in December,” she said.

“I’m just not sure which will go where at this stage, I’ll make that call after the Len Smith.”

Speak The Truth continues his preparation for Menangle as a $2.50 favourite in Saturday night’s free-for-all (2138m) at Albion Park.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Australia