Three of Australasia’s best pacers will clash in next Saturday night’s $150,000 Group 1 Cranbourne Cup.
In another big tick for Harness Racing Victoria’s bonus and Cranbourne’s decision to boost prize money by $50,000, Leap To Fame, Kingman and Swayzee will all meet for the first time in the same race.
“That’s awesome. What an amazing race we’re set for now,” Cranbourne Harness Racing Club GM Cam Gallagher said.
Trainer Jason Grimson last week pin-pointed Cranbourne as Swayzee’s key lead-up race for a Hunter Cup title defence on February 14.
Leap To Fame’s trainer-driver Grant Dixon confirmed his plans moments after a track record win in Saturday night’s $100,000 Group 2 Ballarat Cup.
And Luke McCarthy completed the trifecta when he confirmed Kingman had come through his wayward Ballarat Cup defeat well and would back-up for the fourth week in a row.
“He’s going to Cranbourne. He just didn’t handle the tight bends at Ballarat, but the run didn’t knock him around. He’s great today (Sunday),” he said.
It was the first time in four clashes that Leap To Fame has beaten Kingman.
In contrast to the Shepparton Gold Cup a week earlier when Kingman led, Leap To Fame found the front at Ballarat and always looked in control.
While Kingman holds a 3-1 advantage over Leap To Fame, Swayzee and Kingman are 1-1 from their two clashes.
They first met in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile in September when, amazingly, both were unplaced. Swayzee ran sixth with Kingman seventh.
Then Kingman stalked and ran down Swayzee (who ran second) in a Menangle free-for-all on October 4.
Between the trio of superstars, they have won 110 races and almost $8.3 million.
Their major wins include: the past three NZ Cups, past two Inter Dominions, past two Victoria Cups, two Blacks A Fakes, a Miracle Mile and a Race by betcha in New Zealand.
