By Adam Hamilton
Never has there been such broad New Zealand interest in a Victoria Cup meeting.
That’s because so many of the stars strutting their stuff at Melton on Saturday night could be headed to Cup Week at Addington.
Leading the way is the great Leap To Fame, but there are at least eight other stars for Kiwi fans to watch closely.
Here’s my guide to “Kiwi watch” runners on Victoria Cup night.
RACE 3 – VICTORIA OAKS (9.30pm)
No.4 JOYRIDE: She’s a bit different being the lone Kiwi-trained runner chasing the cash on the night. She was a sound fifth in her Oaks heat after sitting parked. With the key dangers off the back row and natural improvement from the heat, she’s at least a place hope from gate four.
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RACE 4 – BILL COLLINS TROTTERS’ SPRINT (10.10pm)
No.2 JILLIBY BALLERINI: Like them all, she lived in stablemate Keayang Zahara’s shadow last year. But nine wins from 11 starts and a stunning feature win last outing have shown she’s seriously closed the gap. Drawn better than Zahara and has more gate speed. Gets her chance to beat her for the first time this week. Decision on NZ after this race.
No. 4 KEAYANG ZAHARA: The young queen is back and firing. Mesmerizing first-up win last week to make it 16 wins from just 17 starts. We are all still wondering how good she really is? We will find out more this week if she has to sit outside stablemate Jilliby Ballerini. If she does that and wins, she’s a freak. Decision on NZ after this race.
No.9 PARISIAN ARTISTE: Building beautifully. Good first-up, then toyed with rivals in a Menangle mile last time. Much harder here from back row in a hot field. Looking for a solid run ahead of crossing the ditch for the Dominion.
No.12 ARCEE PHOENIX: Where is the Inter Dominion and TAB Trot champion at? Three runs back have been below his best and easily rundown by Keayang Zahara, who gave him a massive start last week. Horror draw, but looking for the right signs to say he should press ahead with the NZ trip.
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RACE 5 – VICTORIA DERBY (10.47pm)
No.11 FATE AWAITS: Three-time Group 1 winner who was terrific in his heat when second in good time after coming deep on the final bend. Back row no help, but it’s a strong field and he’s a great each-way hope. Another chance to see where he’s at before he meets Marketplace and co in The Velocity on Show Day.
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RACE 6 – VICTORIA CUP
No.8 LEAP TO FAME: Could the champ be beaten for the second start in succession for the first time in almost two years? Shock defeat last week and inside back row (gate eight) over just 2240m presents a huge challenge this time. From an NZ viewpoint, most interest is in whether he shows last week was just an off night.
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RACE 7 – VICTORIA TROTTERS’ OAKS (11.22pm)
No.1 GATESYS GEM: Has the measure of Tracy The Jet earlier this season, but the tide has turned. How much is the question? Won nine of 13 starts and had some issues before returning to racing to win a weaker race last time. Fitter, gets the draw edge from the pole. Great “sighter” ahead of clashing again with Tracy in The Ascent at Addington on Show day.
No.3 TRACY THE JET: Utterly flying since a spell with five fantastic wins. Deserves to be favourite even though she’s drawn outside Gatesys Gem. Had a stronger build-up and impossible to fault her form. It’s still her biggest test this campaign.
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Bad draw set to test champ in Victoria Cup
By Adam Hamilton
Leap To Fame’s build-up to the IRT New Zealand Cup gets more intriguing by the day.
Fresh from his shock defeat at Melton last Saturday night, the champion Queenslander faces a huge challenge from the worst possible barrier in this week’s $250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup.
Leap To Fame eased from $1.25 to $1.60 after drawing inside the back row (gate eight) in the 2240m feature. Many think he could start close to $2.
Trainer-driver Grant Dixon said: “It’s going to be very difficult now, especially being over just 2240m, not 2760m.
“If you drag back to get into the clear, you’re conceding a huge start to some really good horses, but if you push through you seriously risk being pocketed and never seeing daylight.
“It’s made it way harder and certainly made for an intriguing race now.”
Dixon was just getting bullish again after the biggest upset in Australian harness racing for 25 years when Leap To Fame was disappointing his lofty standards last Saturday night.
“He seems great, his blood test came back fine and he has worked really well,” he said. “But now we’ve got this draw to deal with.”
It’s fuelled talk of a Victoria Cup hoodoo for Leap To Fame given it’s the one “mega” feature to have eluded him and this will be his third attempt.
“It’s starting to feel like this is a race that’s just not meant to be for him,” Dixon said.
Barrier eight is the same draw Leap To Fame had when beaten as a hot favourite by Swayzee in the Group 1 Hunter Cup at Melton on February 1.
“It’s uncanny how often he’s drawn the two barriers we don’t want, one or eight,” Dixon said. “As I said, at least the Hunter Cup was 2760m and we still got our chance, but it’s much harder again over just 2240m this time.”
So much will now depend on what happens at the start with the two fastest beginners – Catch A Wave and Hi Manameisjeff – drawn one and two and Leap To Fame following out Catch A Wave.
Trainer Andy Gath was thrilled with Catch A Wave’s draw, but thinks NSW speedster Hi Manameisjeff could pack too much speed and cross him at the start.
“He’s very quick out and he doesn’t handle being away from the inside, so they’ll be desperate to lead,” he said. “Sitting on him wouldn’t be the worst thing because I’m sure he wouldn’t hand-up the lead.
“It’s a great draw for us. We’ve got options and with Leap To Fame drawn where he is, we’ve got a really interesting race on our hands now.”
The other major player is Luke McCarthy’s emerging star Kingman, who is drawn well in gate four and will be right on the speed.
