Leap To Fame draws perfectly for 2024 Victoria Cup at Melton

Leap To Fame, the $3.2 million-earner, will start the hottest favourite in the 50-year history of the race they call the Cox Plate of harness racing after drawing gate three for the Melton feature.

Leap To Fame’s stranglehold on Victoria Cup favouritism became vice-like after a “perfect” barrier draw in Saturday night’s $300,000 Group 1 feature at Melton.

The $3.2 million-earner will start the hottest favourite in the 50-year history of the race they call the Cox Plate of harness racing.

A combination of gate three for Leap To Fame and bad draws for key rivals like Swayzee (12), Major Moth (eight), District Attorney (seven) and Better Eclipse (six), saw Leap To Fame’s odds slashed from $1.60 to $1.20.

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“It’s a pleasant change, we’ll certainly take it,” Leap To Fame’s owner Kevin Seymour said.

“He’s had to overcome so many bad or tricky draws in so many of the biggest races over the past 18 months, so it’s great to have luck go his way this time.

“It’s a race that means a lot to us, especially after getting beaten last year.”

The 2024 @sportsbetcomau Victoria Cup barrier draw! pic.twitter.com/DQ11XuWfrn

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) October 7, 2024

Leap To Fame finished a close third after doing the work outside the leader in last year’s Victoria Cup.

“Look at the past winners … the best horses win the Victoria Cup and we want it on his CV,” Seymour said.

“We felt he wasn’t quite as wound-up as he needed to be last year and he’s also improved with all the racing at the top level over the past year.

“Hopefully he can work forward and get the lead (Saturday), but at worst he’ll be up on the speed without doing any work.”

The 2024 Aldebaran Park Bill Collins Trotters Sprint barrier draw! pic.twitter.com/RUaNndDt7T

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) October 7, 2024

Trainer Jason Grimson, who has four of the 12 runners, was hoping for a draw to dictate terms with Leap To Fame’s older half-brother, Swayzee.

It landed the other way with Swayzee, who has beaten Leap To Fame at Group 1 level, off the back row in gate 12.

Grimson’s other runners didn’t fare much better with District Attorney out in seven, Major Moth inside the back row (eight) and Nerano in 11.

Eight-time Group 1 winner Catch A Wave, who beat home Leap To Fame when second in last year’s Victoria Cup, drew nicely in gate two, but will need to improve on his lacklustre fifth in the Smoken Up last Saturday.

Group 1 Bill Collins Trotters’ Sprint contender Just Believe (green, red driver silks). Picture: Stuart McCormick

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In the other feature, champion trotter Just Believe had a decisive “win” over arch rival Callmethebreeze in the barrier draw for the Group 1 Bill Collins Trotters’ Sprint.

Jess Tubbs’ globetrotting superstar drew gate four, but will come into three if emergency One Over All doesn’t gain a start from gate one.

In contrast, French-bred European import Callmethebreeze landed gate 10 and will start from outside the back row.

Just Believe is a $1.30 favourite from Callmethebreeze at $6.

The stellar Melton meeting also features four other Group 1 features: The Victoria Derby, Victoria Oaks, Queen of the Pacific and Victoria Trotters’ Oaks.

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

Originally published as Leap To Fame draws perfectly for 2024 Victoria Cup at Melton