By Adam Hamilton
Aussie champions Leap To Fame and Just Believe will both cap their preparations for New Zealand Cup week when they race this weekend.
As expected, Leap To Fame will tackle the 2300m Battle Of Beersheba free-for-all at Menangle on Saturday night. All going well there he seems a certainty to make the trip to Christchurch and in the latest TAB Market is now a $1.75 favourite for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington on Tuesday, November 12.
The top two Kiwis Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming are next at $4.50 and $5.50.
Just Believe is expected to step out at the big Maryborough all-trotting day on Sunday in the $30,000 Group 3 Maryborough Gold Trotters’ Cup, a mobile start 2690m race. Just Believe, a $1.60 favourite for the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot on Cup day, is is booked to fly from Melbourne to Auckland early next week.
Leap To Fame’s trainer-driver Grant Dixon has stressed the importance of Saturday night’s race for his charge.
“Let’s get through Saturday night before we talk any more about NZ,” he said, “he seems to have recovered well (from a virus which forced him out of the Victoria Cup), but the race will really tell us where he’s at.”
Leap To Fame was floated from Melbourne to Robbie and KerryAnn Morris’ stables next to Menangle early last week.
If he comes through Saturday night well, Leap To Fame will take his spot on a November 3 flight from Sydney to Auckland.
Owner Kevin Seymour was a little open about NZ.
“All the signs have been good with his recovery and he’s raring to go this week. He looks back on track for the NZ Cup,” he said.
The obvious plan would be to cap Leap To Fame’s preparation with the traditional “Cup Trial” at Addington on November 5.
The five-year-old will dominate betting from gate eight (he will move into seven if the emergencies come out) on Saturday night.
The last time Leap To Fame raced at Menangle he brilliantly won the $1m Miracle Mile on March 9.
The IRT NZ Cup flavour to Leap To Fame’s race runs even deeper with trainer Jason Grimson lining-up his two remaining Cup hopefuls – Major Moth (gate 12) and Nerano (six) – against the champ.
Both will need to impress for Grimson to push ahead with NZ plans.
The other key runner of the race is in-form veteran Max Delight, who has gate two after a fantastic fourth in the Victoria Cup last Saturday week.
Trainer Jess Tubbs said Just Believe and her Auckland Cup winner Better Eclipse were “very likely” to race this weekend.
“There’s the Maryborough race for ‘Harry’ and Better Eclipse will probably go to Melton on Saturday night,” she said.
While trainer Andy Gath will wait until next Tuesday to trial his two key NZ hopefuls, Callmethebreeze and Catch A Wave, at Melton.
“All going well, they’ll both then race at Melton the following Saturday (November 2). There’s a flight across (Melbourne to Auckland) on Melbourne Cup Day (November 5),” Gath said.