Leap To Fame set to rip in Derby
GRANT Dixon has produced a raft of quality performers – particularly three-year-olds – during his reign as Queensland’s training powerhouse the past decade.
On the cusp of breaking through a remarkable 3000 winners during that time, Dixon’s dominance of the Queensland training ranks continues to soar, consistently surpassing 200 winners a season including a record-breaking haul of 380 for the 2019-20 racing season.
Having been associated with pacers of the calibre of Majestic Mach, Colt Thirty One and Governor Jujon through successful sophomore seasons, Dixon’s brightest star may yet be his most current.
Attending the 2020 Sydney Australian Pacing Gold Sale in search of his next top liner with the backing of longtime stable client the Seymour family, Grant and his
wife, Trista, identified two colts to bring back to the Sunshine State.
In a stroke of genius, the two colts now race as Leap To Fame and Tims A Trooper, the latter tasting Group 1 success as a two-year-old in the NSW Breeders’ Challenge.
Leap To Fame burst on to the scene with a dynamic NSW Derby demolition in March before a spell in preparation for the TAB Constellations on his home deck at Albion Park.
The star colt then accepted an invite to the most exciting race on the Australasian harness racing calendar, The Rising Sun, where he ran a very credible third as one of only two three-year-old’s engaged.
Chasing home pacing queen Ladies In Red and narrowly missing second from subsequent Sunshine Sprint victor Better Eclipse, Leap To Flame looked right on target for more feature race success.
But while Leap To Fame was surprisingly beaten in last Saturday’s Southeast Derby, his effort was still full of merit after sitting outside the leader throughout and showing typical Queensland tenacity to go down by a neck.
This Saturday night, Leap To Fame will step out in the Group 1 $100,000 TAB Queensland Derby over the gruelling 2680m staying trip.
With Dixon certain to have his charge primed for the testing assignment, expect Leap To Fame to take a power of beating.
The local contingent is strong, featuring the likes of Dangerzone, Teddy Disco and Tims A Trooper, all highly talented and looking to hold off the southern raid headlined by Cantfindbettorman which is in search of the Derby double.
It promises to be a fantastic spectacle on what is a huge night of harness racing at Albion Park.
I can’t wait.