The race dubbed the Cox Plate of harness racing, the Group 1 Victoria Cup, is the next major target for newly crowned Inter Dominion champion Captains Mistress.
It will cap an Australian racing extravaganza on October 17, coming just hours after the huge Everest and Caulfield Cup thoroughbred meetings.
It is a coup for Harness Racing Victoria to have Captains Mistress returning for one of the state’s marquee races and trying to protect her unbeaten record in Victoria after winning two races by a staggering aggregate of 42.9 metres early this year, including the Group 1 Queen of the Pacific.
Many of the sport’s all-time greats have won the Victoria Cup, including Popular Alm (1982 & ’83), Preux Chevalier (1984), Blacks A Fake (2006) and Lazarus (2017).
Captains Mistress’ champion stablemate Swayzee won the race in 2024 and then last year produced an epic with Kingman upstaging Leap To Fame.
“The Victoria Cup is definitely a target. I’d love to give this a shake,” Captains Mistress’ owner Mick Boots said.
“She’s having a month out spelling after the Inter Dominion with (stablemate) Minos and when she’s back, Jason (Grimson, trainer) and I will lock in some plans.”
But the Victoria Cup won’t see a return bout between Captains Mistress and Leap To Fame after their amazing clash in last Saturday week’s Brisbane Inter Dominion final, which made the scoreline 1-1 from their two clashes.
Leap To Fame’s owner Kevin Seymour said the Victoria Cup, a race Leap To Fame has tried to win three times, was not on the radar this year.
“No, we won’t go back for that again,” he said. “The NZ Cup would be his next main target if the prize money stays the same ($NZ1 million) and then it’s the (Group 1) Blacks A Fake here (Albion Park) in December.”
Captains Mistress’s Victorian plans are also confirmation she will race on for at least another season instead of retiring to the breeding barn as Boots has previously planned.
“Grimmo (Grimson) made a good point that she could earn another $800,000 if we went another season, even if we are selective with what races we target,” Boots said.
“And we will be selective. I don’t want to over-race her.”
That rules out another possible return bout with the great Leap To Fame in the iconic NZ Cup on November 10.
“I don’t think it’s a suitable race. She’s never been over 3200m and the race is too close. I don’t want to crucify her,” Boots said.
“That’s not saying she won’t go to NZ, there are other races we could go for other than the Cup.
“Jason mentioned the Kaikoura Cup (November 1) and I wouldn’t be against that.”
There is also a Junior free-for-all on NZ Cup Day and the Group 1 NZ free-for-all three days later at Addington.
So, when does Boots think Captains Mistress and Leap To Fame will meet again?
“Oh, I knew everyone would want to know that,” he laughed. “I can’t say for sure, but it might not be until next year in a Hunter Cup, if we go that way with the mare, or the Miracle Mile.
“It’ll be great for the game to see them race against each other again, but we know how hard it will be.
“Leap To Fame’s Inter Dominion run was as big as you’d ever seen and he’s the best horse in the world.”
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