Forget the post that no horse had been able to win from. And forget that the distance may have been short of his best. And forget that he wasn’t too keen on being kept in the retention barn for two days as well.
Leap To Fame proved he was easily the best pacer in Australasia with a commanding victory in the $898,200 ($1 million AUD) Garrards Miracle Mile at Club Menangle on Saturday, March 9.
‘Larry’ — as he is affectionately known by all who have anything to do with the Kevin and Kay Seymour-owned pacer — showed his true championship qualities as the Grant and Trista Dixon pacer raced without cover for the entire journey and still carried too many guns for Sooner The Bettor (Gavin Fitzpatrick) and Speak The Truth (Adam Sanderson).
He rated a slashing 1:48.3 for the mile and as his co-owner Queensland businessman Kevin Seymour commented: “This proves once and for all that he is a champion.”
As usual there was some drama in the race when the horse tipped to lead the Miracle Mile, Hi Manameisjeff, galloped as they passed the post the first time. That left the way clear for post seven starter Leap To Fame to get to the death chair first up outside the leader, fellow Queenslander Speak The Truth.
And although he was travelling so well on the turn, Grant Dixon said he also knew the horse on his back — Sooner The Bettor — was also travelling well and would be a definite threat.
“I am just so rapt for the horse,” said Dixon as he returned to the cheers of a massive Menangle crowd. “He did it tough but when he had to, he put his head down and got the job done. Certainly, when Hi Manameisjeff galloped it changed the whole complexion of the race. Robbie [Morris] has been giving me pep talks all week on what we had to do. At the top of the straight I was happy with how we were travelling but the one on my back still had me worried.
"Racing this horse has been the best part of my career and being with Trista has been the best part of my life," Dixon continued. "And to have them all here tonight to witness this is just super."
It was the first Miracle Mile win for the Seymours and as Kevin basked in the glory of the win he commented: “Now I do believe in miracles.”
“This has been a fantastic journey for us. I had reserved my comments but tonight this horse proved to us what a champion he is. These are great horses and what Leap To Fame did tonight was just extraordinary... I cannot believe he could be this good.”
Seymour said harness racing needed a champion and despite being a Queenslander, the locals had treated him like he was their own.
“A lot of people came here tonight just to watch him. He’s the people’s horse,” he said.
Kay Seymour agreed: “Good horses like this bring people to the track.”
Dixon echoed those sentiment: “So many people wanted to have their photo taken with him.”
A son of Bettors Delight from the Fake Left mare Lettucereason, Leap To Fame became only the third horse behind the mighty Preux Chevalier and Village Kid, who in 1985 and '86, won Australasian harness racing’s big treble, the Inter Dominion, Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile.
The win was the 11th straight overall and sixth in six seasonal starts for the five-year-old pacer, whose lifetime summary now stands at 35-6-2 from 45 starts with nearly $2.5 million in earnings.
(with files from Harness Racing New South Wales)