Leap to Fame and Grant Dixon Photo by Stuart McCormick
THE Miracle Mile could be the sacrificial race in a busier than expected start to the year for champion pacer Leap To Fame.
A five-race Victorian raid and a confirmed trip to New Zealand for the $NZ1 million Race by betcha at Cambridge in April has put pressure on a Miracle Mile tilt in March.
Leap To Fame has been a mainstay of Australasia’s premier speed test in the past two years. He created history winning it from the widest barrier draw (gate seven) in 2024 and ran a mighty second to Don Hugo last year.
“We’re playing it by ear. He had a busy time down here (Victoria),” trainer-driver Grant Dixon said.
“I’m big on seeing how the horse is at the time, but it comes up very quickly after the Hunter Cup.
Significantly, Leap To Fame has returned to Dixon's Queensland base after his huge second to Swayzee in the Hunter Cup.
Further complicating things is the necessity for all pacers, including Leap To Fame despite his deeds, to qualify for the Miracle Mile through a qualifying race.
Over the past two years, Dixon has used the $100,000 Newcastle Mile as that qualifier. Leap To Fame has won both times and enjoyed a 15-day break into the Miracle Mile.
The challenge is, the Newcastle Mile is scheduled for just 13 days after the Hunter Cup.
That's Friday week.
“I really like the Newcastle option so he doesn’t have to go to Menangle and run two super hard miles in consecutive weeks, which is the only other way into the race,” Dixon said.
“I’m always reluctant to miss a $1 million race when they’re up and running like him because you never know when something might go wrong, but we’ve also had him at the top (level) for so long by picking and choosing his races a bit.”
If Leap To Fame bypassed Sydney, he would have time for a short freshen-up between Victoria and Cambridge.
Remembering, his absolute prime target this season is a third Inter Dominion title in his own backyard at Albion Park in July.
PHOTO: Stuart McCormick
