Dan Costello
There is no turning back this time.
After two aborted trips to NZ last year, champion Aussie pacer Leap To Fame is definitely heading across this time for next Friday’s $1 million Race by betcha at Cambridge Raceway.
The first leg of the trip starts when Grant and Trista Dixon take him by road from their Tambourine stables to Sydney on Saturday morning.
“It gives him a while to settle again before the flight at 11am Sunday (Sydney to Auckland),” Dixon said.
Leap To Fame returned to winning form when he smashed the 1660m track record winning at Albion Park last Saturday night.
“We felt it was best to get him back home after the Miracle Mile for a couple of weeks and I’m glad we did,” Dixon said.
“Even though it was a big drop back in class, he won really well the other night.”
The last time Dixon was in NZ, he campaigned millionaire pacer Colt Thirty One, who struggled racing the reverse direction, with limited success in the 2019 Auckland Inter Dominion. He ran third in a heat and fourth in the consolation.
“I’m excited about doing the trip. It’ll be the first time I’ve driven at Cambridge ,” he said.
Leap To Fame will be stabled with the Stonewall Stud team.
Dixon confirmed the Race by betcha would be a hit-and-run trip.
“He won’t be staying on for any of the other races. We want to get him home and give him a break before the (Brisbane) Inter Dominion,” he said.
Leap To Fame will be joined on the Sunday flight to Auckland by Australia’s two other highest profile Cambridge raiders, Miracle Mile winner Don Hugo and Inter Dominion trotting winner The Locomotive. - Adam Hamilton
