Leap To Fame has completed an extraordinary season for trainer-driver Grant Dixon, claiming the Downbytheseaside Victoria Derby to cap a sweep of the eastern seaboard classics.
The brilliant three-year-old matched Captain Joy’s feat more than a decade earlier in claiming the Victorian, New South Wales and Queensland derbies with a dominant front-running performance at Tabcorp Park Melton.
“We love him to bits and hope we can take him all the way,” Dixon told TrotsVision. “I think he ticks all the boxes. Great manners and great gait and great speed.”
He showed all those attributes tonight, taking command of the race by advancing to the front from gate five where he was soon joined by race favourite Captain Ravishing, who advanced to the breeze with about 1800 metres to run.
From there the pace was relentless. Off an 82.4-second lead time, Leap To Fame produced successive 28.8sec first and second quarters and then pressed further with a 27.5sec third quarter.
The pace had all chasers’ gasping, with Captain Ravishing’s brave challenge fading off the final turn while Leap To Fame was ruthless, home in 28.7 seconds to win by seven metres from Ripp, with Interest Free also running on well to complete the top three.
“Obviously we had the draw, which helped and it was great to get the job done,” Dixon said.
