CAN LEAP TO FAME BOUNCE BACK?
“Oh, my goodness. Can you believe it?”
That was all Dan Mielecki was able to say as Leap To Fame crossed the line last week at Melton, with Bulletproof Boy edging out the dual Australian Horse of the Year.
The Victoria Cup is the only Grand Circuit event on the east coast of Australia that is missing from the Leap To Fame resume and after drawing barrier eight for Saturday, it is a task made exponentially tougher.
Leap To Fame will follow out Catch A Wave who has drawn one.
However, it looks likely that Hi Manameisjeff will be driven aggressively to find the front, with driver Cam Hart outlining his desire to press forward early.
That will leave Grant Dixon hoping for some luck to force his way off into the running line.
Or, does he ease from the start and then look to loop the entire field?
It sets up for an intriguing contest and the early market has had Leap To Fame ease from an opening quote of $1.50 out to $1.75.
Leap To Fame has started in black figures just three time in the past two seasons.
They were at $2.70 when winning the 2024 Miracle Mile, at $2 when second to Swayzee in the Hunter Cup and at $2.20 when second to Don Hugo in the 2025 Miracle Mile.
The ‘longest’ price that Leap To Fame has started outside of those three runs was the $1.60 quote in the second-round heats of this year’s Inter Dominion where he also started from inside the second line at Albion Park.
Luke McCarthy will be chasing a fourth Victoria Cup triumph as he partners with Kingman.
Kingman is one of three four-year-old pacers in the field, along with Bay Of Biscay and War Dan Buddy.
One statistic that is in Grant Dixon’s favour – it has been almost two years since Leap To Fame has been beaten in successive starts.