Mark Purdon, Kate Gath are Dreaming of 2025 Cranbourne Cup upset against Leap To Fame

Two superstars of the game will team-up for the first time in a quest to upstage Leap To Fame in Saturday night’s $100,000 Cranbourne Cup.

Dont Stop Dreaming will take on superstar pacer Leap To Fame in Saturday night’s Cranbourne Cup. Picture: Supplied

Two superstars of the game will team-up for the first time in a quest to upstage Leap To Fame in Saturday night’s $100,000 Cranbourne Cup.

Kiwi Hall of Famer Mark Purdon has booked trailblazing Aussie driver Kate Gath to partner his best pacer, Dont Stop Dreaming, in the Group 2 feature.

“I couldn’t believe it when we got the call,” Gath said. “I’ve never driven for Mark before and now I’m on his best pacer, a horse who’s won over $1 million.

“What thrill, it’s a huge buzz to have someone like Mark ask you to drive for him.”

It shows the awe Gath and others have for Purdon when you consider she’s driven almost 2200 winners, including the 58 at Group 1 level, the most by any Aussie female.

“I’m so used to driving against Mark and all the great horses he’s had, this will feel very different,” Gath said.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Dont Stop Dreaming, who ran second to Leap To Fame in last year’s Hunter Cup, came back and ran seventh in this year’s Cup, but was only beaten 7.1m behind Swayzee and Leap To Fame last Saturday night.

“He went well. He got back, had to come very wide and ran on well. He wasn’t far away at all at the finish,” Gath said.

“Speaking to Mark, he felt the horse might have gotten away on them a little bit with three weeks between runs.

“He thinks that race will bring him on and he’ll be better this week.”

But Gath understands the enormity of the challenge from barrier six, while Leap To Fame has gate two.

“It looks ideal for Leap To Fame and his run was incredible last week. He’s going to be very hard to beat, but it’s good to hear Mark expects improvement from Dont Stop Dreaming,” she said.

You guessed it… CHAMPION pacer Leap To Fame will be back on our track for the annual Cranbourne Gold Cup 2025 who will you be cheering down the home straight?

We can’t wait to see you all there!

Get your tickets here: https://t.co/uR5mVcJPvEpic.twitter.com/E2yUMSdCzt

— Cranbourne Harness (@CranHarness) February 5, 2025

• Leap To Fame poised to bounce back at Cranbourne

Much interest will be on the first 150m and whether noted speedster Mach Dan (gate three) blasts out and crosses Leap To Fame, which is very likely.

Then if Gath comes out running as well and can beat Leap To Fame to try press for the lead from Mach Dan.

Remarkably, Gath is yet to win a Cranbourne Cup.

“I’ve won five (Cranbourne) Trotters’ Cups, but not their pacing cup,” she said.

“I remember Caribbean Blaster ran a fantastic third in it (in 2012) and it gave us the confidence to think he could win the Victoria Cup, which he did a week later.”

Gath was only available to drive Dont Stop Dreaming because Catch A Wave – a $2 million-earner trained by Gath and husband, Andy – bypassed Cranbourne.

“Andy wanted to keep him in sprint races until the Miracle Mile, so he felt Cranbourne wasn’t the right option,” she said.

Gath’s pick-up drive comes just a week after she and Andy caused a huge upset, winning the heat and final of the Group 1 Great Southern Star with little-known trotter Watts Up Partytime at Melton.

It’s party time for Gath Racing! 🎉

Watts Up Partytime gives husband and wife trainer/driver team Andy and Kate Gath a fifth win in the 🏆 Group 1 Yabby Dam Farms Great Southern Star Final, 1720m, in 1:53.9 at Melton on a massive Saturday night. pic.twitter.com/XAbU0oDeJ4

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) February 1, 2025

It’s their fifth win in Australia’s premier trotting race in its 13-year history.

“That’s the great thing about racing, I thought Andy was crazy for even running him in the series and he won it,” Gath said.

“You’ve always got to hope, just as we do with Dont Stop Dreaming even though everything looks in Leap To Fame’s favour this week.”

• Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.

Originally published as Mark Purdon, Kate Gath are Dreaming of 2025 Cranbourne Cup upset against Leap To Fame