Aussie champion redeemed himself in the Blacks A Fake with a stirring, track record performance.

by Adam Hamilton

Could Leap To Fame be the greatest Down Under pacer ever?

That’s what many were asking after his latest and best big race win in Saturday night’s (July 27) $400,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake (2680m) at Albion Park.

It was more a demolition job and display of utter dominance than just a win.

Despite doing all the work and looking vulnerable with 400m to go, Leap To Fame switched into another gear and zoomed away to beat his arch-rival and half-brother Swayzee by 7.2m.

As he did, Leap To Fame smashed another track record.

His incredible 1:52.8 mile rate for the long 2,680m trip took 0.6sec off the record. Replayhere.

“He’s got to be up with the best we’ve seen now,” owner Kevin Seymour said. “I told you a year ago he had that sort of potential and look what he’s done since.”

Over the past year, Leap To Fame has won an Inter Dominion, Hunter Cup, Miracle Mile and now Blacks A Fake – Queensland’s biggest race.

And still to come this year, he has the Group 1 Victoria Cup (Oct. 12), Group 1 New Zealand Cup (Nov. 12) and a defense of his Inter Dominion title in Sydney in December.

All races look at his mercy.

Leap To Fame’s win was his 41st from just 52 starts and his 11th at Group 1 level.

He’s now banked $3,194,685.

“He’s still getting better, too,” Seymour said. “I’m not just saying that, look at him. He’s never gone better than tonight and he keeps stepping up each time in these big races.

“As I’ve said before, Kay and I have been in the game more than 50 years waiting for a horse like this. He’s a dream come true.”

Last night was a win of redemption too, after Leap To Fame copped a flat tire and his wheel seized in the home straight when upstaged by Swayzee in last year’s Blacks A Fake.

But Leap To Fame has dominantly won all three clashes since.

Swayzee’s driver Cam Hart put it best.

“My horse went unbelievable tonight, so it’s incredible to think he could be beaten at all, let alone so easily,” he said. “I was so proud of Swayzee, but Leap To Fame was something else.”

Trainer/driver Grant Dixon admitted he was in awe of the 5-year-old son of Bettors Delight.

“I have been for a while, to be honest,” Dixon said. “But tonight, he went to even another level. He was there to be beaten after all that work he did, but he just switched into another gear.”

It’s quite fitting that last night’s race was named after Blacks A Fake, who is also a Queenslander and the modern-day pacing benchmark Down Under.

Blacks A Fake won 72 of his 105 starts and an Australasian record $4,575,438.

If Leap To Fame holds his form, he’s on target to break Blacks A Fake prize money record early next year.

AARDIE B MIKI CROWNED IN QUEENSLAND OAKS

Canadian owner Mike Tanev snared one of his biggest Down Under wins when the brilliant filly Aardie B Miki blasted home to win last night’s $150,000 Group 1 Queensland Oaks.

Aardie B Miki, having just her 14th start, exploded when clear of pocket back on the pegs to overtake leader and hot favorite Millwood Bliss.

“That’s a huge thrill,” Tanev said. “I wasn’t sure she would get clear with the leader [racing] slot fractions. Once she could tip, she exploded like a volcano. She’s got an incredible burst of speed.

“I’m so privileged to have a horse that has the ability to race with these great horses and she’s from a terrific family. Lots of credit to Chantal [Turpin, trainer] and Pete McMullen [driver] for the job they’ve done with her since she got across from NZ a couple of months ago.”

Replay here.

Turpin conceded her attention would have to go to Victoria with Aardie B Miki. Races like the Victoria Oaks and Breeders Crown in coming months look like logical targets.

MAJOR HOT TAKES QUEENSLAND DERBY FOR THE KIWIS

There was just one New Zealand raider racing on Blacks A Fake night, but it was enough to take home a Group 1 trophy.

It was an all-NZ win too with the Art Major gelding Major Hot trained by David and Stacey White, owned by a string of NZ’s biggest players and driven by former Kiwi horseman and now Queensland-based Adam Sanderson.

It was Sanderson’s drive which made the difference, cutting corners and weaving through gaps to appear late and rundown a very brave favorite Bay Of Biscay, who sat outside the leader throughout.

Major Hot won by a neck with another 24m away to third-placed Minos. Replay here.

It was an emotional win for the Whites, who didn’t train the horse when they arrived in Brisbane a month ago with their top young trotter Bet N Win.

They were gutted when an untimely hoof abscess ruined Bet N Win’s Group 1 hopes and forced him out of some major races.

But around the same time, the owner of Major Hot asked if they would take over training him with trainer Nathan Purdon to return home to his big team in NZ.

“They put a lot of trust in us, they took a risk, and to reward them with a win like this is amazing,” Stacey White said. “To go from the disappointment of Bet N Win to this is… well, just unbelievable.”