Leap To Fame ID23 Win Photo by Dan Costello
LEAP To Fame won more than the Inter Dominion crown at Albion Park last Saturday night.
The superstar four-year-old’s powerhouse performance also landed him the 2023 Australian Grand Circuit champion crown in the last leg of the seven-race series.
While others banked big points early, Leap To Fame only contested the last three legs and earned points in them all.
Trained and driven by Grant Dixon, Leap To Fame landed 60 points for his second to Swayzee in the Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park on July 22 and then another 40 points for third to Act Now in the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 10.
He still trailed contemporary Catch A Wave by 60 points going into the Inter Dominion final, meaning nothing short of victory would make him the outright Grand Circuit champion.
And Leap To Fame did it stunningly, banking 100 points to top the table with 200 points for the season.
Catch A Wave, who earned 100 points for his Miracle Mile win and another 60 for his Victorian Cup second placing, was outright second on 160 points.
Exciting, both are just four-year-olds, which points to a powerful Grand Circuit in years to come.
Four pacers shared third spot on the table with 140 points.
WA pair Diego (WA Pacing Cup winner) and Mighty Ronaldo (Fremantle Cup winner) also ran third placings in other Grand Circuit races.
It is important to note that the late change of date for the second WA Cup run this year meant that the race did not count towards the 2023 Grand Circuit title because the conditions had previously been settled.
Hunter Cup winner Honolua Bay also finished on 140 points with his Miracle Mile placing, adding to his tally before injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year.
Swayzee was the other pacer on 140 points through his Blacks A Fake win and the fantastic third to Leap To Fame in last Saturday night’s Inter Dominion final.
Of course, Swayzee’s season also included a fantastic NZ Cup win, but that doesn’t count on the Australian Grand Circuit table.
Grand Circuit veteran – some would say bridesmaid - Spirit Of St Louis deserves a special mention.
The Belinda McCarthy-trained star contested five of the seven legs this year and finished with 90 points, including 20 for his terrific fourth in the Inter Dominion final. His best run was second in the Miracle Mile.
Along with that, Spirit Of St Louis ran second in the inaugural Nullarbor, which isn’t a leg of the Grand Circuit.
