by Adam Hamilton

Just when the doubters were emerging, champion Aussie pacer Leap To Fame delivered his most stunning win yet.

On a rain sodden track, Leap To Fame crushed his Miracle Mile conqueror Don Hugo and left New Zealand’s best in his wake in the $1 million race by betcha at Cambridge in New Zealand’s North Island.

Despite the conditions and never seeing the marker pegs, Leap To Fame obliterated the New Zealand national 2,200 meters, taking 1.6 seconds off the previous mark.

Even his conservative and modest trainer/driver Grant Dixon was moved to say it was Leap To Fame’s “greatest performance yet.”

Champion Kiwi trainers Barry and Mark Purdon, along with Cran Dalgety, all watched in awe and remarked they had seen genuine greatness.

As he walked Leap To Fame back to the trailer to leave the track, Dixon said he was as much relieved as excited.

“It’s a bit that way in all the big races with him, but it’s especially so with this one… coming all the way to New Zealand the first time,” he said. “When you factor it all in, the travel, the wide draw and the work he did getting around the field, I think it’s his greatest performance yet.”

Dixon drove like a man on a mission after some felt he didn’t put enough pressure on Don Hugo in the Miracle Mile when they last met on March 8.

“I got lots of instructions to get right up and into Don Hugo’s face and it worked,” Dixon said. “I had him beaten coming to the last bend, but I did worry what we’d have left after doing so much work.

“I didn’t look back. I just focused on Larry [Leap To Fame’s nickname] and hoped he would keep going. He’s just an amazing horse, a life changing horse for Trista [Dixon’s wife] and I.”

Owner Kevin Seymour talked of the extra layer after the disappointment of two aborted New Zealand trips last year, most notably last November’s New Zealand Cup.

“There was unfinished business and we wanted to get the horse over here to show a passionate harness country how good he is,” Seymour said. “I’ve said before, he’s the horse Kay [Seymour’s wife] and I have been dreaming of getting after more than 50 years in the game.

“Grant and Trista have done such a remarkable job with him, it’s a real team effort. It adds so much to share a win like this with them, too.

“It’s hard to compare wins, but this has to be up in the very top echelon.”

Dixon confirmed Leap To Fame would now return home for a break with the Brisbane Inter Dominion at Albion Park in July the next major target.

He won the Inter Dominion the last time it was run at Albion Park in December, 2023.

Seymour said a trip back to New Zealand for the iconic NZ Cup in November could be in the cards.

“Now that would be the pinnacle and we’d love to do it, but it’s something we won’t talk about until after the Inter Dominion,” Seymour said.

Don Hugo, who was heavily backed to beat Leap To Fame again, succumbed to the immense pressure and weakened to finish fourth.

Mark Purdon’s emerging 4-year-old ran a booming race for second, while defending champion Merlin kept rallying after being under pressure with a lap to run and finished third.

Earlier, emerging trotting star Arcee Phoenix set the scene for the Aussie dominance of the night by leading throughout to win the $600,000 TAB Trot.

Aussie raiders, all of them trained in Victoria, filled the first four spots in last year’s inaugural TAB Trot with champion Just Believe leading the way from Callmethebreeze, Queen Elida and Arcee Phoenix.

A year later, and with Just Believe retired, and Callmethebreeze recovering from hoof issues, it was Arcee Phoenix’s turn to shine with Queen Elida running another booming race for second.

It was an Aussie trifecta again with Inter Dominion winner, the Swedish-bound The Locomotive, running third after doing the work outside the leader on a rain-soaked track.

But this was a wonderful story of family, patience and passion with Arcee Phoenix.

The family and patience part came through winning trainer/driver Chris Svanosio’s father-in-law, renowned equine vet Dr. Alistair MacLean, who passed away in September, last year.

“Alistair played such a big role in shaping this horse the path he’s gone on to get here,” Svanosio said. The horse was here as a 2-year-old and didn’t race because Alistair looked at him and said, give him time. We’ve followed the pathway Alistair set for him. We all miss him, it’s such a shame he’s not here to enjoy this tonight.”

The passion element came from Svanosio and global trotting identity, Duncan McPherson, who bought the slot in the race through his Aldebaran Park brand, and banked on Arcee Phoenix for the second year in a row.

“You know how much I love trotting and what I’ve put into it to make it better Down Under, this just means the world to me, especially doing it with great people and mates,” McPherson said. “We knew he was probably a year early last year, but coming across was part of what built him for the win tonight.

“This is a serious trotter. With all of my international connections, I hope we get the chance to see him race on the international stage. I just love trotting. It’s everything, which is why I’m so emotional. It just means the world, especially sharing it with these great people.”

Svanosio will skip three other major races in New Zealand to return home to, like Leap To Fame, focus on the Brisbane Inter Dominion.

The series consists of two heats and a $500,000 final and runs from July 5 to 19 at Albion Park.

By running second, Queen Elida became the richest Down Under trotting mare of all-time. She moved to $1,063,920, compared to One Over Kenny’s $1,060,394.

And The Locomotive didn’t lose any fans finishing third after doing the work outside the leader.

What’s clear is he will need the draw to lead to be a serious factor in Sweden.

The Locomotive has won 23 times in 25 races when he’s led, but only won once from 14 tries when he hasn’t been able to find the front.