Harness racing: Grant Dixon chasing more feature race success at Melton after sending Leap To Fame to the paddock

After winning in New Zealand with Leap To Fame last week, trainer-driver Grant Dixon will be back on a plane chasing more feature race success at Melton on Saturday night.

Path To Greatness will contest the Nutrien 3YO colts and geldings final at Melton on Saturday night. Picture: Dan Costello

Just hours after putting champion pacer Leap To Fame in the spelling paddock, trainer-driver Grant Dixon will be back on a plane chasing more feature race success.

The Queensland-based Dixon heads to Melton on Friday night to partner three runners – Path To Greatness, Ruby Rules and Lucky Luda – for himself and wife, Trista, in three of the rich Nutrien Sales finals.

Leap To Fame is back in Australia on his way home to Dixon’s Tambourine stables outside Brisbane.

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The six-year-old posted his 50th win from just 63 starts with a career-best win in last Friday night’s $NZ1m Race by betcha at Cambridge in NZ’s North Island.

“He arrived back at Robbie Morris’ stables (near Menangle) just before midnight (Monday),” Dixon said.

“I’m driving him back home as we speak.

“He was a little bit tired the day after the race, which is understandable, but by Sunday he was bouncing around and right back to himself.”

Leap To Fame will have “two to three weeks” spelling before returning to prepare for the Brisbane Inter Dominion series, starting at Albion Park on July 5.

“You don’t have time to give them too long out these days and don’t want them getting too heavy,” Dixon said.

“I’d like him to have a couple of lead-up runs before the Inter Dominion, so he’ll be back racing early June.”

Leap To Fame is the best advertisement for Dixon’s great eye for a yearling. He paid just $47,500 for him at the Sydney sales in 2020.

Dixon’s three Melton runners were also bought as a yearling, in their cases through the Nutrien Sales.

“I won’t have long at home before I head to Melbourne,” Dixon said. “Even the horses don’t leave until late. There’s only flight service from here (Brisbane) to Melbourne and it goes Thursday night and then they race the next day. It’s not ideal.”

Leap To Fame, you are INSANE 🔥

Leap To Fame breaks the track record at Cambridge on the Night of Champions

Grant Dixon trained and driven to victory in the $1m The Race by Betcha for slot holders Solid Earth Pty Ltd (Kevin & Kay Seymour)

Replay: https://t.co/FOnoDPKexI#FNLpic.twitter.com/xtsjS1UMi8

— Trackside NZ (@TracksideNZ) April 4, 2025

Missing from Dixon’s Melbourne raiders is his best young pacer, Fate Awaits.

“He won his heat really well, but came down with a cold so we have to give him some time off,” Dixon said.

“It’s more a timing thing, nothing serious.”

Dixon said his best hope at Melton was NSW Derby runner-up Path To Greatness from the coveted pole draw in the $150,000 Nutrien 3YO colts and geldings final.

“He’s the main reason we’re going down, for sure,” he said.

“There’s not much between him and Fate Awaits at their best.

“The draw is great because this guy has the speed to really take advantage of it. We’ve got options now.

“It’s a strong race with all of Emma (Stewart) and Clayton’s (Tonkin) good ones, but he’s a decent horse Path To Greatness and I’m sure he’ll run a big race from the draw.”

Stewart and Tonkin have four finalists against Path To Greatness, headed by NSW Derby heat winners The Highlight Reel (gate 10) and Storms Collide (three). Their other runners are Apollostorm (two) and Cigano (12).

Dixon concedes Ruby Rules (gate two, race two) and Lucky Luda (gate nine, race five) will need plenty of luck to figure in the finish of their races.

“They’re both nice fillies, but still early in their preparations and facing some hot opposition,” he said.

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

Originally published as Harness racing: Grant Dixon chasing more feature race success at Melton after sending Leap To Fame to the paddock