Queensland sensation Leap To Fame will be a better horse in the Hunter Cup than he was when he last raced at Melton in the Victoria Cup about four months ago.

Trainer-driver Grant Dixon admits his stable star wasn’t “as tight and race hardened” as he probably needed to be for the Victoria Cup.

“That said, the way the race panned out didn’t suit him, either,” he said.

“He’s a better horse now. The hard racing big races through the back half of last year has been great for him. He’s thrived on it.

“Despite those four runs through the Inter Dominion, he pulled up ready to race again the next week.

“It’s not taking anything out of him. He didn’t really even need those eight days or so out after the Inter Dominion, but Trista and I had a bit of a break and it was a chance to pop him out, as well. We’re really happy with him.”

Dixon hopes to give Leap To Fame a lead-up run before heading to Victoria and confirmed the Hunter Cup will be just a hit-and-run trip.

“If he runs before it, that’ll be at Albion Park. I’d prefer to race him, but if we can’t, he’s still very fit and forward with all the racing he’s had, so a trial would be enough.”

Leap To Fame atoned for some enormous runs in defeat in mega races when he dominated the Brisbane Inter Dominion final on December 16.

Owner Kevin Seymour immediately declared the Hunter Cup his next target. Seymour won the Hunter Cup as part-owner of US import Mr Feelgood in 2009.

“He’s born for a race like the Hunter Cup over the long distance,” he said.

“He’s the best horse in the land and needs to be in all the best races, but that said, we won’t over race him.

“Grant’s done a fantastic job of picking the right targets and peaking for them so far and that’s how it will continue.”

Seymour also makes no secret of his desire to win a Miracle Mile.

“Yes, that’s a big priority. It’s one of few really big ones I haven’t won yet,” he said. “That’s the goal after the Hunter Cup.”

Interestingly, Dixon is leaning towards chasing a Miracle Mile berth through victory in the $100,000 Group 2 Newcastle Mile on February 23.

“It fits better than going to the (qualifying) sprints the week before the Miracle Mile,” he said.

“It’s two weeks before and gives him time to recover, rather than having to probably run a 1min48sec mile or quicker then back-up in the Miracle Mile and go even faster seven days later.

“We don’t have any locked-in plans beyond the Hunter Cup because you have to base everything around how the horse seems, but Newcastle is pencilled in.”

It’s the same story with the $NZ1mil Race by Grins at Cambridge in April.

“We’d like to run and it’s pencilled in, too. The racing doesn’t seem to be taking anything out of him, so I’d expect he’ll be fine after the Miracle Mile and we’ll head that way.”

Dixon isn’t fazed by an NZ trip reducing his windows to give Leap To Fame a “proper” spell.

“No, I don’t think he needs it. The way the (racing) calendar is these days, little breaks here and there work better and are less risky than giving him a big chunk of time out and having to bring him right back up again.

“He’s such a good doer, a week or two out here and there recharges him really well. He’s jumping out of skin after that.

“I don’t know how he’d go with a long break. I think he’d be sick of it before long and want to get back into his routine.”

The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.