The best pacer and trotter in this part of the world are both racing for lucrative spoils at next week’s Hunter Cup meeting after champion pacer Leap To Fame scored an authoritative win in the Group 1 Jet Roofing Kilmore Pacing Cup.
Leap To Fame, the $1.30 favourite, avoided potential interference on the first turn as Grant Dixon swung wide after the New Zealander Republican Party eased away from the pegs.
Dixon quickly set Leap To Fame alight and the champion wrested the front running off Republican Party inside the first 400 metres.
Republican Party attempted to launch an assault along the sprint lane in the home straight, however Leap To Fame proved far too strong in chalking up the 15th Group 1 victory of his illustrious career.
Leap To Fame’s mile rate of 1:55.2 was one second off an 11th track record.
“My initial thing is always relief that he won and everything went right,” Dixon said.
“I am really pleased with him; it was a good run for him and the fact that he got through the line really strong and he didn’t have to do all the bullocking work tonight.
“It was nice to let him back off through the middle and have a good rest and use his speed on the way home,” he said.
Dixon said Leap To Fame was in a good space as he was on the verge of pocketing the $1m Summer Of Glory bonus on offer for his owners Kevin and Kay Seymour should he win next Saturday night’s Group 1 A G Hunter Cup.
“This is the happiest that Trista and I have been with him in any of his trips away, so we are just hoping that we have a ‘no bad luck’ week and hopefully line up next week in good shape,” he said.
Dixon said he has enjoyed campaigning his stable star at the Summer Of Glory country cups over the past month.
“This is the best part of coming to these tracks, people getting a photo with him, and it’s exciting just to be a part of Larry’s racing,” he said.
