close
close
with4yh

Leap To Fame and Swayzee collide again

Vaseline
Leap To Fame and Swayzee collide again

Swayzee hasn’t beaten Leap To Fame for a year, but Grant Dixon is still very wary of him in Saturday night’s rematch in the $400,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.

The siblings have clashed twice since Swayzee wowed a capacity crowd at Albion Park last year, outshining Leap To Fame in Blacks A Fake.

Leap To Fame was dominant, winning both successive encounters, the last of which came two weeks ago in the Group 3 Mr Feelgood at Albion Park on July 13.

“I’m sure Swayzee will be fitter and harder to beat this time,” said Dixon.

“I know we beat him quite easily last time but he really had to push at the beginning to get the lead and he hadn’t raced for a couple of weeks before that race.

“Swayzee is also better suited for the longer race this week. Not that Leap To Fame won’t be, but Swayzee seems more of a real stayer.

“I have a lot of respect for him. I expect another great race this week, especially if Swayzee can pull a better barrier and establish himself in front of us.”

Leap To Fame crowned his preparation with the 10th Group 1 victory of his magnificent career in last night’s Group 1 Sunshine Sprint, a race he also won last year, finishing second to Swayzee in the Blacks A Fake.

Dixon knows he has a better horse this time.

“Last year he was only four years old and now he’s at his peak at five,” he said. “He’s had that extra year of experience in the big races and he’s prepared himself really well for this race.”

For comparison, Leap To Fame has competed 22 times since last year’s Blacks A Fake, achieving 18 wins, two second places, one third place and one fourth place.

Victories include Australia’s three biggest races: the Inter Dominion Final, the Hunter Cup and the Miracle Mile.

Swayzee’s 11 starts in that time have seen six wins, two second places, two third places and one fourth place. He did what few Aussies did last November by going to Christchurch and winning the iconic NZ Cup.

Dixon isn’t concerned with the theme of redemption touted by many, as Leap To Fame suffered a flat tire in the closing stages of Blacks A Fake last year.

“It’s just another big race. It’s an important one because it’s our (Queensland’s) biggest race and I’d like to see his name on the roll of honour, but he’s won so many big races that it’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t win it,” he said.

Leap To Fame costs $1.50 in the pre-draw at Blacks A Fake markets, while Swayzee costs $6.

Other solid news is that Dixon must have a blood test done on his promising young horse Fate Awaits tomorrow (Monday) before deciding whether to take his place in the first $500,000 Protostar on Saturday night, after last night’s disappointing performance.

Dixon was delighted with Free Thinker’s win in the $207,000 The Hayden, which earned him a place with Racing Queensland in the world’s top earning trotting race, the $2.1 million TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 7.

“It was like a double win,” he said. “We had hoped this guy would step up to Eureka and he certainly did.”

• Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor who writes about harness racing for News Corp.

Related Posts