Leap To Fame after winning the 2026 Ballarat Cup
CHAMPION pacer Leap To Fame can move to within two wins of the Australasian Group 1 pacing record with victory in Saturday night’s $150,000 Kilmore Cup.
His epic win over Kingman in last Saturday’s Cranbourne Cup was Leap To Fame’s 13th at the ultimate level.
He shares 13 Group 1 wins with other greats Smoken Up and Holmes DG.
Only four pacers have won more with Westburn Grant and Lazarus sharing the record on 16 Group 1 wins. Both split their wins between Australia and NZ.
Lazarus also landed a Group 1 win in Dan Patch during his short racing campaign in the US.
If Leap To Fame wins this week, he will join former great Victorian stayer Gammalite and WA speed sensation Im Themightyquinn on the second line with 14 Group 1 wins.
With Saturday week’s $250,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup, the $1 million Group Miracle Mile (March 14) and the Brisbane Inter Dominion in July to come, Leap To Fame could equal or even eclipse the record held by Westburn Grant and Lazarus.
In trotting ranks, freakish mare Keayang Zahara is marching her way towards the record, too.
Last Saturday night’s Cranbourne Trotters’ Cup romp was her 12th Group win from just 24 starts.
It moved her into equal third spot with former Kiwi superstar Sundees Son, chasing only the former Tim Butt-trained champions Lyell Creek (15) and Take A Moment (13).
Keayang Zahara can move to 13 if she wins next Saturday night’s Great Southern Star and also has the $100,000 Group 1 Hammerhead Mile at Menangle just around the corner on March 14.
MOST PACING GROUP 1 WINS
16 – Westburn Grant, Lazarus
14 – Gammalite, Im Themightyquinn
13 – Leap To Fame, Smoken Up, Holmes DG
12 – Lombo Pocket Watch
MOST TROTTING GROUP 1 WINS
15 – Lyell Creek
13 – Take A Moment
12 – Keayang Zahara, Sundees Son
10 – Just Believe, Keystone Del, I Can Doosit, Monbet
9 – Sundons Gift, Tornado Valley, Speeding Spur
PHOTO: Stuart McCormick
