The burning question: when will Leap To Fame retire?
by Adam Hamilton
He is the horse nobody wants to see retire.
Down Under champion Leap To Fame is a stallion and it is already a bonus he is still racing as a 7-year-old.
But could he go on for another season?
Leap To Fame’s racing future has been a huge talking point since his mind-blowing and arguably career-best win in last Saturday’s $1 million Miracle Mile.
It was certainly his biggest win as far as profile goes.
The Miracle Mile was the best harness race Australia has seen for 20 years and Leap To Fame made the ultimate statement.
He did in front of an audience the sport hasn’t enjoyed for a long time.
And Leap To Fame has transcended the sport by winning around an army of not just thoroughbred fans, but trainers and jockeys.
He has banked almost $5.8 million — about $1.3 million more than any other Down Under pacer — but his value to the sport is simply immeasurable.
Every race he contests now is pure PR gold for harness racing.
If that was to stretch into another year, what joy.
So, imagine the excitement when his leviathan owner Kevin Seymour hinted at racing beyond the Inter Dominion.
Expectations have been growing that the 7-year-old, widely regarded as Australasia’s all-time greatest pacer, would be retired to stud duties after chasing a third Inter Dominion crown at his home track, Albion Park, in July.
But Seymour said that was far from certain.
“It’s generally agreed by us all that the horse will tell us when it’s time to retire him,” Seymour said. “If his performances dropped off a bit or he wasn’t thriving on the racing like he is now.”
Leap To Fame’s form is arguably better than ever, especially given his amazing win in last Saturday week’s Miracle Mile at Menangle.
Most excitingly, Seymour admits his mind has wandered beyond the Inter Dominion in July.
More than that, he said trainer/driver Grant Dixon shared his thoughts.
“We would love to go back and have another crack at the New Zealand Cup [in November],” Seymour said. “I’m sure Grant feels the same way.
“We felt not much went right for him over there last year and his form says he’s going even better now than then.
“It’s a long way from now until November, but it feels like there is some unfinished business.”
If Leap To Fame was to stand at stud next breeding season, he would need to retire soon after the Inter Dominion.
It would not be possible to tackle another New Zealand Cup and start stud duties.
Seymour confirmed plans were being put in place “in case” Leap To Fame was retired.
“Yes, that’s because getting everything in place takes a lot of time and planning,” he said. “It doesn’t mean he will retire; it just means we’ll be ready if he does.”
But Seymour stressed his major focus now is on winning more feature races with Leap To Fame, starting with the $1 million The Race at Cambridge in New Zealand’s North Island on April 10.
Leap To Fame produced one of the best performances of his career to win the race last year, but looks to be racing even better now.
He has raced eight times this year for six wins, two seconds and earned $876,000.
Seymour said Leap To Fame would not race again before the Cambridge race, meaning he will go into it with four weeks between starts.
“Grant and Trista [Dixon] don’t think he’ll need a race,” Seymour said. “It would be terribly hard to get a race to stand-up [with enough starters] at home [Albion Park] and he won’t race in New Zealand before the big race.
“We’re waiting on an exact date, but it looks like he’ll go by road down [from Queensland] to Sydney and then fly to Auckland on Easter Saturday or Sunday.”
Leap To Fame will headline a powerful Aussie raid on Cambridge. Fellow Queenslander, The Janitor, who ran second in the Miracle Mile is going across. So too are Kingman and Swayzee, who have won the past three New Zealand Cups between them.
It will be a huge shock if an Aussie doesn’t win the race.
Seymour said Leap To Fame’s Cambridge race would be “hit and run” and just for the one race.
“I know there are some other nice races for him after Cambridge, but he’ll be heading straight back home,” he said. “I’m mindful Grant’s already had six weeks in Melbourne and a couple of weeks in Sydney this year.
“We’re also keen to get the horse back home where he loves it best and really focus everything on trying to win another Inter Dominion.”
Leap To Fame is aiming to join Blacks A Fake, Im Themightyquinn, and Our Sir Vancelot as the only three-time Inter Dominion champions, Blacks A Fake holds the record with four wins.
