Aussie News : June 2

By Adam Hamilton

Champion pacer Leap To Fame opened a campaign which will likely see him tackle the New Zealand Cup when he won impressively at Albion Park last night.

First-up since his Miracle Mile win on March 9, the five-year-old escaped a potentially awkward inside back draw and doing the work outside the leader to win comfortably.

And he posted a slick 1min51.5sec mile rate for 1660m in the process.

Trainer-driver Grant Dixon copped a fine for not scoring-up fully to avoid a pocket, but it most likely proved the difference between winning and losing.

“He it did well and the run will bring him, that’s what we gave him this run before he goes into the standing starts,” Dixon said.

Leap To Fame will back-up next week for an important test, his first race from a stand in the Flashing Red.

That race and the $100,000 Group 2 Redcliffe Cup from a standing-start on June 29 are vital races to decide if he continues to head towards the NZ Cup.

Both races have a maximum back mark of 20m.

Leap To Fame’s first-up win was his 12th successive victory and his 36th win from just 46 lifetime starts.

On the same card, TAB Eureka contenders For Real Life and Eye Keep Smiling both posted good wins.

For Real Life only narrowly, but had to work to hold the front and his 1min51.6sec mile rate was only 0.1sec slower than Leap To Fame.

X X X

Brilliant speedster Hi Manameisjeff looked terrific winning first-up at Menangle last night, but the win came at a cost.

The injury-plagued seven-year-old broke in the score-up and was placed out of the draw in mobile starts.

Trainer Jason Grimson will now have to devise a plan to get the seven-year-old back in the draw before a planned Queensland raid next month.

It was Hi Mannameisjeff’s first start since the Miracle Mile, when he broke stride under pressure when vying for the lead in the early stages and lost all hope.

Once the gelding found the lead last night, it was an armchair drive for new reinsman Jack Callaghan.

Hi Manameisjeff steadied through a 30.4sec second quarter, then blasted home in 53.7 and 26.2sec to win by 9.4m in a 1min51.3sec mile.

X X X

Chariots Of Fire winner Frankie Ferocious is close to a racetrack return.

Trainer Jason Grimson said the four-year-old, who hasn’t raced since a terrific fourth in the Miracle Mile on March 9, would trial at Menangle on Wednesday.

“He’ll trial this Wednesday and the following Wednesday before he goes to Brisbane with the rest of my team,” he said.

“He goes best fresh so I’ll probably just give him one run before the Rising Sun (Albion Park, July 13).

“He won’t do much racing in Brisbane because we’re building everything around the TAB Eureka (September 7).”

Grimson said his NZ Cup winner Swayzee would run again at Menangle next Saturday night as he prepares for another Brisbane raid.

Swayzee returned from almost six months out with a stunning 2300m Menangle win last Saturday week.

X X X

Kiwi-owned trotter One Over All continues to do a terrific job in the shadow of his champion stablemate Just Believe.

The six-year-old beat a good field and posted his second successive victory in the Lenin Trotters’ free-for-all at Melton last night.

Trained by Jess Tubbs and driven by Greg Sugars, One Over All edged past $290,000 in the career earnings with his 21st win from just 67 starts, along with another 16 placings.

Much interest in the race focused on heavily backed favourite Aldebaran Zeus at his first Victorian start in over a year.

The globetrotting star finished a solid fourth and is sure to be improved by first run since returning from an extended US campaign late last year.

X X X

Gary Hall Sr’s recent dominance of the Gloucester Park free-for-alls continued last Friday night.

The champion trainer had three runners and snared the trifecta with hot favourite Finvarra leading throughout but only narrowly holding off his former WA Pacing Cup winner Wildwest.

Another former WA Pacing Cup winner, Diego, finished a close third.

It was part of yet another huge night for Gary Hall Jr, who drove four winners.