Catch up on the week’s harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
How good is he?
That question might just be rhetorical when it comes to describing Queensland’s latest pacing star, Leap To Fame.
The Grant Dixon trained colt was breathtaking in claiming the Victoria Derby on Saturday night at Melton, giving Dixon his second Victorian Derby in the past five years.
It was a case of déjà vu for Leap To Fame, finishing as the runner-up in the main Derby lead-up in Queensland behind Cantfindabettorman, he was second to Captain Ravishing in the Victorian Derby heat seven days prior.
But like he did in Queensland, Leap To Fame displayed his ascendancy in the Victorian Derby Final, making a one-act affair of the Blue Riband feature
It was a domination of his rivals from start to finish as Leap To Fame claimed victory by 7.9 metres over the Bernie Hewitt trained Ripp, the biggest winning margin in a Victorian Derby since Scandalman won by 12 metres in 2012.
Not only was it a decisive margin, but it was also a powerful display where Dixon laid down the gauntlet to his challengers, running through the last mile in quarters of 28.8, 28.8, 27.5 before bringing it home in 28.5, never looking in danger of defeat.
Leap To Fame joins elite company with the victory, becoming just the fourth three-year-old to claim the Victorian, New South Wales, Queensland Derby treble.
He joins Paleface Adios (1973), Courage Under Fire (1999) and Captain Joy (2009).
Dixon’s star colt will now likely have two more runs this season, the semi-final and then assuming he qualifies, the Final of the NSW Breeders Challenge, before he is shut down for a long spell.
While the Chariots of Fire is normally a logical target for high quality four-year-old’s, it comes as no surprise that Leap To Fame will miss that race in early 2023.
“I’m probably not that worried if I miss the Chariots with him, I don’t know, but there always seems to be lots of casualties out of the Chariots, after they seem to run such quick time,” Dixon said in mid-September.
“We will get through this season and map out next year and see which races Kevin and Kay Seymour would like to go to.”
His four-year-old campaign will likely now include local features highlighted by The Rising Sun in the Constellations Carnival and then the new $2m race The Eureka, a slot race which looks an obvious target with the Seymour’s holding one of the ten slots.
So how good is Leap To Fame, well the man who knows the horse the best, Grant Dixon, is best placed to answer that.
“At the moment, I think he is the best one me and Trista have ever had,” he said.
THE BAD
It took 28 attempts to break the maiden status, but on Wednesday night, the Daniel Anforth trained Destiny Blues was able to claim a breakthrough victory.
Driver Trent Moffat was able to provide a faultless display in the bike to get Destiny Blues home, however he was hit with a fine from the stewards.
After burrowing through to hold the front from gate one, Moffat was able to control the tempo with quarters of 33.1 and 32.7 tough the first half of the last mile, before closing quarters of 29.7 and 29.4 was enough for the mare to claim victory by just over two metres.
Unfortunately for Moffat, despite rating the mare perfectly in front, the opening half of 65.8 seconds was outside the time standards and resulted in a slow sectional fine delivered from the stewards.
A late starter, Destiny Blues did not race at two or three and only had her first educating trial late in her four-year-old season and made her race debut on the last day of the 2020 season.
Finishing at the rear of the field at that first attempt, the mare was not sighted for another nine months, having her second start in September of 2021.
At her fifth career appearance, the then five-year-old secured her first placing when finishing as the runner-up to Valkyrie Hanover.
Showing steady improvement at every outing, the distinctly coloured mare finished a narrow second to Tori Be at Redcliffe on September 21 and after landing barrier one last week, there was a glimmer of hope that the elusive first victory could materialise.
After finding the front soon after the start, Destiny Blues was able to claim victory with 2.3-metres to spare over the race favourite Subtle Chay, with Payout just a half-head further back in third place.
With Destiny Blues the only horse in a racing preparation for Anforth, the win also ended a drought of victories for the trainer and gave him his second Redcliffe winner.
Aviators Dream was the last winner that Anforth had prepared, that win secured at Redcliffe on December 31, 2014.
The patience with Destiny Blues to secure her first race victory came with added reward, the mare claiming the $14,000 QBRED first win bonus on top of the race winning stakes.
THE MILESTONE
Riley Butt reached a career half-century of winners on Saturday night courtesy of a winning drive aboard Parama for trainer and father Tim Butt.
The past month has been a successful time for Riley and the Butt stable, as they continue to produce winners, Riley taking his winning strike-rate this season to 14%.
In his third season of race driving, Butt is currently on 21 wins following seasons of 19 and 10 wins respectively.
The win aboard Parama was a controlled effort, after finding the front soon after the start in the 1660 metre event.
With a steady 28.9 opener, Butt was able to back the speed right off through a 32.2 second split, before starting to increase the speed down the back straight to a 28.4 quarter.
That left plenty in the tank and the six-year-old Bettors Delight gelding was able to zoom up the home stretch in a 26.6 closing split, recording his third win from his past four starts.
Parama has now won five races this season for the Butt stable, with Riley taking the reins on each occasion, with other multiple winners that he has driven for his father including Kar Manor, Eternal Gold, The Weapon.
THE WILDCARD
Highlighting how even the free-for-all ranks are in Queensland, and have been for the past two years, Saturday night’s race over 2138 metres ended in a dead heat.
Cruz Bromac and Turn It Up finished locked together on the line, with the judge unable to find a margin for either runner, while Will the Wizard finished 3.5 metres back in third place.
2022 has seen a proliferation of split verdicts and Saturday nights was the second for the week, following Motu Amethyst and Getaloadathisgirl sharing the spoils at Redcliffe on Wednesday night.
There has been a number of split decisions this year, however a dead heat in open company is a rare occurrence that has not been seen for many years in Queensland.
Cruz Bromac continues to build after joining the Shannon Price stable, with the ten-year-old making full use of his brilliant gate speed to find the front on Saturday night.
With Adam Sanderson taking the drive, he was able to repel the early challenge from Turn It UP and then with no pressure in the small field, was able to dawdle through the opening half in 62.1 seconds.
With the field settled in single file order, Shane Graham had settled three back in formation after Pet McMullen was able to hold the leaders back with Will The Wizard.
Turn It Up was the first to make a move, easing into the one-wide line with 500 metres to travel and with a third split of only 29, it was always going to be a sizzling last quarter.
As the field straightened for the run to the judge, Cruz Bromac was in the centre trying to fight them off, Turn It Up was on the outside throwing down the challenge and Will The Wizard had dropped down to the passing lane trying to make his run.
With 100 metres to travel it was a two-horse battle and as they hit the line, broadcaster Chris Barsby who excels in calling the right winner in a tight finish, could not find a winner as they put the last 400 metres behind them in 26.3.
“They reach the line, oh too close to call here, this is very, very tight,” Barsby called.
The split decision took Cruz Bromac to 27 career wins and Turn It Up to 24.
THIS WEEK
Another six straight days of harness racing in Queensland, starting with a Monday night fixture from Redcliffe.
Action will be from the Peninsula for the first four days of the week as Albion Park goes off-line to complete some track restoration and resurfacing works.
That will see Redcliffe race Monday and Wednesday night and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
It is expected that Friday’s meeting will be able to proceed at The Creek as programmed, with the week to wind up with Saturday nights metropolitan fixture.
Two-year-old and three-year-old events have been programmed, with the highlight likely to be a Band 4-2 event over 1660 metres where the airborne Love Your Work is likely to be engaged.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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