The three biggest stars of Australasian harness racing will clash for the first time in Saturday night’s $150,000 Group 1 Cranbourne Cup.
Queensland champion Leap To Fame is chasing his third successive win in the feature, but will have to contend with NZ and Victoria Cup hero Kingman and reigning Hunter Cup winner Swayzee in what should be a gruelling 2555m battle.
Between the trio, they boast 110 wins and almost $8.3m in prizemoney.
Leap To Fame led throughout to get his first win over Kingman in four clashes in last Saturday night’s Group 2 Ballarat Cup.
While Kingman and Swayzee have clashed twice with a 1-1 scoreline.
Kingman, who cost himself by hanging badly when fourth to Leap To Fame at Ballarat, is the big winner from the barrier draw in gate one, which makes him an almost certain leader.
Luke McCarthy’s star used the same draw to lead throughout and beat Leap To Fame in the Shepparton Cup last Saturday week.
“That’s huge. The draws are just so important when these great horses meet,” McCarthy said.
Leap To Fame will start from gate four in Cranbourne’s seven-horse field, while Swayzee fared poorly outside the front row (gate seven).
Leap To Fame’s trainer-driver Grant Dixon emphasised the importance of the barrier draws after winning at Ballarat.
“It seems whoever gets the better draw and better trip is the victor at the moment,” he said.
Gate one ensures Kingman will be favourite to bounce back at Cranbourne.
But the presence of Swayzee adds another dimension because it means Leap To Fame may not have to do all the grunt work himself outside Kingman this week.
Giant-killing local veteran Bulletproof Boy, who has upset Leap To Fame and Kingman in recent runs, is also drawn to be a factor from gate two.
With only one line, driver James Herbertson can drop straight in behind Kingman for a dream trail and wait to challenge along the sprint lane late.
Despite the small field, the quality of the race rewards Cranbourne for boosting prizemoney by $50,000 and taking its Cup to Group 1 level this season.
On the same card, freakish trotting mare Keayang Zahara should move a step closer to snagging a new $500,000 bonus by winning the $75,000 Group 1 Cranbourne Trotters’ Cup.
The five-year-old made it 22 wins from 23 starts when she cruised to victory in last Saturday night’s Ballarat Trotters’ Cup.
Another win this week would give her the third of four wins she needs across Victoria’s Summer of Glory to bank the bonus.
She should work forward and find the lead from gate four in a race where the only possible dangers look to be Rocknwithattitude (gate two) and Im Bobby (five), who she beat easily at Ballarat.
If she wins this week, Keayang Zahara would then only need to win the $250,000 Group 1 Great Southern Star at Melton on February 14 to pocket the $500,000 bonus for connections.
She is $1.30 pre-post favourite for the Great Southern Star.
• Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp
