Photo: Don Costello
Aussie pacing stars Leap To Fame and Don Hugo both looked fantastic on Saturday night, when winning their final lead-up races for the $1mil The Race by betcha at Cambridge Raceway.
Don Hugo was first out, working his way to the lead and winning as he liked in a 1min49.3sec free-for-all mile.
The Miracle Mile winner scorched his last quarter in 25.9sec.
Leap To Fame was asked to do a lot more and delivered, smashing the Albion Park 1660m track record with a 1min48.6sec mile rate and runaway 23m win.
It took 0.5sec off Duke Of Scotland’s track record.
Leap To Fame looked awesome.
Interestingly, the time was almost as quick as he went in the Miracle Mile when second to Don Hugo and there’s no doubt Menangle is a considerably bigger and faster track than Albion Park.
Leap To Fame will head to Sydney by road later this week and join Don Hugo on the same flight next Sunday.
On the trotting front, The Locomotive, Im Ready Jet and Arcee Phoenix continued the fairytale night for Cambridge officials when they all won last night.
The Locomotive returned to winning form and posted a scorching 1min52.1sec mile when he cruised to a 12.9m victory.
Any doubts of Andy Gath’s mare Im Ready Jet making the trip to Cambridge were quashed when she toyed with her rivals in the Group 1 Sumthingaboutmaori Mares’ Trotting free-for-all.
It was her second win from as many starts this campaign.
It was Im Ready Jet’s third win in the Group 1 race in the past four years and took her career earnings past $750,000.
Arcee Phoenix looked back to his best when he led, dictated terms and cruised to victory in the Scotch Notch Memorial at Melton. - Adam Hamilton
