Let’s call it the “Leap To Fame-factor” and it will make this Victoria Cup even more important than another Group 1 Grand Circuit race for Captains Mistress.
And that’s possibly even without her having to race against Leap To Fame.
Another amazing layer of Leap To Fame’s greatness dawned on me in the days leading into that recent epic Brisbane Inter Dominion final.
Where were his three biggest rivals of the past three years?
While Leap To Fame was fronting up yet again chasing the sport’s most treasured prize, Swayzee, Don Hugo and Kingman were nowhere to be seen.
Swayzee is recovering from tying-up issues, Don Hugo an injury and Kingman the just largely physical and mental toll of those clashes with Leap To Fame.
Sure there were a variety of reasons why, but none of them, including the mighty and resilient stayer Swayzee, have had busier and more demanding racing careers.
Even their sheer number of race starts shows that. Leap To Fame (seven year-old) has raced 92 times, Swayzee (eight) 81, Don Hugo (six) 65 and Kingman (five) just 43.
Yet Leap To Fame was the only one of four in that Brisbane series.
Yes, the other three have all beaten him multiple times, but he’s beaten them all many more times than they have.
Swayzee and Kingman share the record with three wins over Leap To Fame, while Don Hugo has two.
As champions do, Leap To Fame has had to fend-off challengers and superstars in their own right in waves and almost chapters through his amazing career.
It actually started way back in three-year-old career when the then breathtakingly exciting Captain Ravishing beat him in a heat of the Victoria Derby before Leap To Fame showed us the first real glimpse of his staying might to turn the tables when it mattered in the final.
A year later Leap To Fame’s older half-brother Swayzee struck his first blow with that upset win, albeit in dramatic “busted wheel” circumstances in the 2023 Blacks A Fake.
Of those key rivals, Swayzee has been the mainstay with his three wins over Leap To Fame coming over two-and-a-half years, the Blacks A Fake (July 22, 2023), first Hunter Cup (February 1, 2025) and second Hunter Cup (February 14, 2026).
Don Hugo’s two wins over Leap To Fame and Kingman’s three came in much shorter “bursts”.
Don Hugo led throughout to win last year’s Miracle Mile on March 8, and then added the Blacks A Fake on December 12, last year.
Kingman enjoyed that purple patch late last year with wins over Leap To Fame in the Victoria Cup (October 18), NZ Cup (November 11) and Shepparton Cup (January 17).
It’s hard to measure, but what toll did those wins over Leap To Fame take on the three superstars?
Surely some.
Which leads to the question around Captains Mistress, who is only a four-year-old mare, compared to the other much more seasoned “boys” who have upstaged the champ.
What, if any, toll this having to push deep into the red zone for the first time in her career did that record-smashing Inter Dominion win over Leap To Fame take on Captains Mistress?
It’s especially relevant the way her driver Cam Hart described the last 100m or so of the race.
“From that point it was up to her, did she have what it takes to keep finding when he came at her? Did she really want to win?” he said.
She did and she won.
But time will tell if it took anything out of her.
Although he didn’t speak specifically to that, it’s clear that question is on the mind of her owner Mick Boots.
He continually talks about not over-racing Captains Mistress, being selective about what she runs in and not wanting to “crucify” her in a brutal staying contest like the NZ Cup.
Leap To Fame has proven himself to be a rock many break themselves against.
It’ll be exciting and fascinating to see how Captains Mistress comes through her first true showdown with the champ.
And it’ll be right here in our own backyard at Melton.
PHOTOS: Toby Coutts
