Champion pacer Leap To Fame atoned for his gallant defeat in the Hunter Cup when he completed back-to-back wins in the Group 2 Decron Cranbourne Gold Cup on Saturday night.

Sent out a prohibitive $1.06 favorite, Leap To Fame was beaten for the early lead by Mach Dan however Grant Dixon was able to ease away from the pegs and wrest the front running back with two laps to travel.

Dixon increased the tempo with a 27.6sec back straight quarter, and although Dont Stop Dreaming chased valiantly in the home stretch, Leap To Fame comfortably held a five metre margin on the line in a mile rate of 1:58.4 for the 2555 metres.

Dixon acknowledged the effort of the runner-up.

“I had to tap him up in the home straight. Dont Stop Dreaming ran a great race and he started to come at him a bit,” Dixon said.

Dixon said the elements represented somewhat of a challenge in the run to the line.

“The track is reasonably soft and the wind is strong, but he went through the line good and was comfortable on the line,” he said.

“He felt really good and travelled well and I just think with the strong wind and heavy track he didn’t get up and zip down the straight as quick as we probably thought.”

Dixon said the son of Bettors Delight is Sydney-bound next month in order to defend his Miracle Mile crown.

“We hope to go to the Miracle Mile and then on to the Inter Dominion is the plan at this stage,” he said.

The Mark and Nathan Purdon-trained Oscar Bonavena chalked up his first win on Australian soil with a brilliant last-to-first win in the Group 1 Cranbourne Trotters Cup.

Anthony Butt, having his first drive on the nine-year-old, bided his time at the rear of the field from the second row draw before commencing a three wide sojourn with a lap to travel.

Oscar Bonavena ($2 fav) showed scintillating speed looping the field from last before surging to the lead with 500 metres to travel and outclassing his rivals in the home straight to score by 12 metres from Harold Smith.

Butt said he wasn’t overly concerned when spotting the leaders a tidy start with a lap to travel.

“It wasn’t ideal, but I knew he was very fast. I just didn’t want to go too early because when you light him up he can sort of keep running,” Butt said.

“I just wanted to time his run and get it right - he’s got unbelievable speed,” he said.

Butt ranks the winner in a similar realm to outstanding racetrack performers such as Lyell Creek and Take A Moment.

“He’s right up there, and although it’s the first time I’ve driven him, his record is outstanding and he’s probably still at the top of his game,” he said.

“He’s one of the fastest over 200 to 300 metres, very few trotters have got that high speed like this.”

Oscar Bonavena is likely to head north where he will clash with Inter Dominion winner The Locomotive and Great Southern Star victor Watts Up Partytime in next month’s Group 1 Hammerhead Trotters Mile at Menangle.