Luke McCarthy is already bracing himself for his second epic contest of the year.
It’s just two weeks since McCarthy and his star Don Hugo went to “war” with champion stayer Swayzee in a remarkable Goulburn Cup.
Don Hugo went down fighting by 4m with another 36m away to the rest of the field.
Racecaller Fred Hastings described it as the best race he’d called in his 42-year career.
“It was my version of the Bonecrusher/Our Waverley Star Cox Plate,” he said.
The horses are different, but the script shapes eerily similarly in Saturday night’s $50,000 Group 3 Shepparton Gold Cup.
This time McCarthy drives his new pacing sensation Kingman against one of all-time great pacers, Leap To Fame.
They have met twice and, amazingly, Kingman holds a 2-0 lead over the champion Queenslander, winning the Group 1 Victoria Cup on October 18 and the NZ Cup on November 11.
They have scared off their rivals this time, with just three rivals taking on the big guns at Shepparton.
Kingman gained the first advantage with an ideal barrier draw (gate one), which should see him lead.
Leap To Fame has barrier three and will have to do it the hard way outside Kingman, as he’s so often had to do through his three years on the Grand Circuit.
“It’s got all the makings of another epic clash like Goulburn, hasn’t it,” McCarthy said.
“I know it’s only a small field, but gee it should be a great race to watch.
“Yes, I’ve got the draw, but Leap To Fame is a champion and has been at the top for years now, that’s what makes him one of the best we’ve seen.
“I’ll lead, I’m sure and there’s no way I’m giving it up, but Grant (Dixon, driver of Leap To Fame) will be pouring the pressure on.”
If Kingman runs up to those Victoria and NZ Cup wins, it’s hard to see how Leap To Fame can sit outside him and beat him.
But Kingman’s only run in the past eight weeks was a below par third in last week’s Bendigo Cup at Melton.
McCarthy warned not to read too much into that.
“I’m convinced it was the travel (from Sydney to Melbourne) so close to the race, but my hands were tied with scorching days the two days before that,” he said.
“Kingman wasn’t himself. He wasn’t the horse I’d be working at home and taken into Menangle a couple of times.
“That’s why I left him down there (Shepparton) rather than take him back home.
“I’m sure we’ll see him back to his best this week, but he’ll need to be against Leap To Fame.”
Punters have rallied around Leap To Fame, backing him in from $2 to $1.70, while Kingman has eased from $1.60 to $2.10.
