Trainer Andy Gath is looking to get on a wave and catch out superstar in Hunter Cup

Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave is primed to give hot favourite Leap Of Fame a run for his money in Saturday’s $500,000 Hunter Cup at Melton.

Catch A Wave and Kate Gath in action. Picture: Pacepix–Club Menangle

Trainer Andy Gath knows he won’t get many better chances for his Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave to beat Leap To Fame than in Saturday night’s $500,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup at Melton.

Catch A Wave has clashed just twice with his contemporary, Leap To Fame, and the scoreline is 1-1, but in both races neither of the glamour pair has won.

* Barrier draw goes Leap To Fame’s way in major race

Mighty mare Encipher upstaged Leap To Fame with Catch A Wave a disappointing ninth in the TAB Eureka on September 2, then Catch A Wave was second to Act Now with Leap To Fame a close third in the Victoria Cup on October 14.

While Gath concedes the gruelling 2760m trip of the Hunter Cup favours Leap To Fame, the barrier draw has given Catch A Wave his chance.

Catch A Wave completes the Chariots Of Fire & Miracle Mile double! 🏆

A simply superb driving and training performance from @GathRacing. pic.twitter.com/Z79tr0MU4M

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 4, 2023

So too has the fact Gath believes he has his stable star “as good as he’s been for a long time.”

Catch A Wave drew gate two, but will move into the pole if emergency Cantfindabettorman doesn’t get a run.

Despite slick beginners like Taipo (three) and Curly James (four) being drawn alongside Catch A Wave, it would be a major shock if Victoria’s most gifted pacer, who is known for his early brilliance, didn’t hold the lead.

Then comes the big question – hold the front or take a sit on Leap To Fame, who will most likely begin from gate five and keep pushing forward in search of the front?

* Dixon’s Hunter Cup dream with champion Leap To Fame

“It’s most likely we’ll be trailing him, but it will depend on a few things and, if we hand over, we won’t give it to him on a platter,” Gath said.

“We’ve got to consider how hard we’ve got to go to hold the front, how much work Leap To Fame has to do before he gets to us and how far into the race that is.

“You’ve also think in the back of your mind, when Leap To Fame’s been beaten, it’s when he hasn’t been able to find the lead.

“But we’ve got to use the draw because it’s so good and rare. We’ve got to give it everything to try and take full advantage of it.”

Straight after the draw, Leap To Fame’s trainer Grant Dixon nominated Catch A Wave as his biggest danger because of his sparkling speed.

“I’d be really wary of him sitting on me. Look how fast he sprinted when Kate (Gath, driver) let him go at Ballarat last start,” Dixon said.

“My horse builds into his speed, but Catch A Wave’s speed is like flicking a switch.”

Gath agreed with Dixon’s summary.

“I think we’re faster than him, or at least can switch gears quicker, but his speed is sustained. He can go at a high speed for so long,” Gath said.

“Catch A Wave really feels in the zone. It’s like we’ve got him right back to his very best.

“He’s never had the chance to sit on a really good horse like this and be saved for his speed. If he does sit on Leap To Fame, which is most likely, he’ll come quick and hard at it. He’ll make a real race of it.”

Majestuoso is back in action on Saturday night. Picture: Stuart McCormick

Gath is also trying to win Saturday night’s other feature, the $300,000 Great Southern Star, with his best trotter Majestuoso at his first run back from almost a year out with injury.

“He goes well fresh and he’s very close to the best version of himself despite so long out,” Gath said. “I’m sure he’ll run well.”

This will be Majestuoso’s third consecutive attempt at Australia’s biggest trotting race. He won a heat and ran fourth in the 2021 final then finished seventh in his heat and final last year.

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

Originally published as Trainer Andy Gath is looking to get on a wave and catch out superstar in Hunter Cup