Next stop, New Zealand: Aussie stars warm up for Cup Week
Two of Australia’s biggest harness racing stars are getting ready to head our way, and Saturday night offers a sneak peek at what’s coming.
Leap To Fame and Gus line up at Brisbane’s Albion Park before turning their attention to Cup Day at Addington on November 10.
The two superstars have had very different build-ups.
Leap To Fame will be on the quick back-up after a sparkling Albion Park win in the rain last Saturday night.
When he starts from gate seven in a 1660m sprint, it will be his fourth run in this preparation.
It’s true to form for trainer-driver Grant Dixon, who said early this campaign he wanted a big foundation of racing into his champion before he returned for his second crack at the NZ Cup.
Of course, he ran a brave second to Kingman last year when, arguably, he wasn't quite at his very best.
Everything says Leap To Fame is going at least as well as ever despite being a rising eight-year-old and a veteran of 95 starts.
Despite the draw, it should be another walk in the park for Australasia’s richest pacer of all time.
He is $1.70 favourite to atone for last year and add the NZ Cup to arguably the sport’s greatest CV of all time.
In contrast, Gus hasn’t raced since winning the Brisbane Inter Dominion trotting final on July 18.
Instead, co-trainers Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen have opted for a string of trials.
They contemplated taking Gus first-up into the Renwick Farms Dominion on November 10 but relented and will give him a standing start race on Saturday night.
Gus will come off a 50m handicap.
He won off a 40m handicap at Albion Park back on February 7, this year.
Gus shot to stardom when he blitzed his rivals to win last year’s Dominion.
He then backed up three days later and completed the Cup Week Group 1 double by landing the NZ Trotting free-for-all.
Turpin and McMullen have raced him sparkling in the 12 months since, with nine starts netting six wins and a third.
