John Dunne
Champion pacer Leap To Fame looks set to atone for his defeat in last year’s Victoria Cup when he tuned up for this year’s race with a soft win in the Smoken Up Sprint.
Leap To Fame was narrowly beaten into third place behind Act Now and Catch A Wave in last year’s edition of the race.
Sent out favourite, Leap To Fame was given time to balance up from his outside draw before Grant Dixon opted to work forward and wrest the lead off Mach Dan with 1100 metres to travel.
A rustling of the reins by Dixon on turning for home was all the son of Bettors Delight needed to surge clear in the home straight scoring by three and a half metres on the line from Mach Dan and Curly James in a mile rate of 1:51.2.
Dixon conceded the win was relatively painless.
“It all panned out really good in the end, it wasn’t too hard for him and he was able to get the job done, “Dixon said.
Dixon said his pre-race summation that Mach Dan would find the front came to fruition.
“You never take anything for granted but when we left the gate he (Mach Dan) looked as if he was going to clear the inside ones and at least we could roll to the death under a hold without having to
open him up,” he said.
Second up from a spell, Dixon expects Leap To Fame to be near peak fitness for next week’s assignment.
“He normally gets better with each run and hopefully he will just keep improving a bit,” he said.
It will be a huge upset if the Victoria Derby Final trophy doesn’t reside with a runner from the powerful Emma Stewart stable.
The country’s leading outfit houses the place getters in both heats from Melton on Saturday night.
Miki To Success backed up its win in the Vicbred Super Series Final with a narrow win over its equal $3.20 favorite Some American in the first heat with Kingman a brave third.
Driver Jackie Barker said she felt a sense of dejavu.
“The race panned out very similar (to the Vicbred Final) and I’m a bit shocked that he did get up but very happy,” Barker said.
“This sort of racing really suits him as he a really tough horse who gives everything and I’m looking forward to next week.”
Best Deal caused a minor upset in the second heat when he outsprinted the $1.28 favorite Bay Of Biscay.
Driver Mark Pitt said the race scripted perfectly for his charge.
“I thought I’d elect to follow the best horse in the race and try and buzz him up the straight because I know how fast this little fella is off a trail,” Pitt said.
Interstate and overseas visitors captured the spoils in the heats of the Victoria Oaks.
The Chantal Turpin trained Queensland filly Aardie B Miki led all the way in the first heat with Pete McMullen in the sulky.
New Zealand filly Coastal Babe too led from start to finish in the second Oaks heat.
