Leap To Fame, Captains Mistress and Gus dominate ID2026

By Adam Hamilton 

There might not be a Kiwi in the Brisbane Inter Dominions, but three horses New Zealanders know  well and have seen plenty of are poised to dominate the finals.

Leap To Fame and the Kiwi-born Gus have strutted their stuff in mega NZ races, while Captains Mistress was already a star before she crossed the ditch to join the rampaging Jason Grimson stable.

They are the big three of this Inter Dominion series as it nears the halfway mark.

All three shone brightly on opening night last Saturday, none more so than Captains Mistress.

So gloriously impressive was her Group 1 Rising Sun win, many think she can test or even beat the great Leap To Fame in Saturday week’s $1 million pacing final at Albion Park.

Her driver Cam Hart can’t wait, while Leap To Fame’s trainer-driver Grant Dixon is clear about the enormity of the challenge ahead.

“She was stunning the other night. She only has to run up to that and we’ve got a real battle on our hands in the final,” he said.

Hart said: “She can beat him (Leap To Fame). Her speed is her biggest weapon against him, but she might be able to lead throughout and beat him too, she’s so good.”

Hart knows what that takes, having led throughout on mighty stayer Swayzee to beat Leap To Fame three times, most recently in February’s Hunter Cup at Melton.

Captains Mistress couldn’t be more different to Swayzee in her attributes, but they share genuine star power.

Many says Captains Mistress is already the best mare of the modern era.

It’s a big call to say she’s better than greats like Blossom Lady and Tailamade Lombo just yet, but on sheer talent and brilliance, she’s knocking on the door.

From 11 starts with Grimson, Captains Mistress has 10 wins and that luckless fifth to Leap To Fame in the Miracle Mile on March 14.

That’s the only time they’ve met and raised more questions than it answered.

While Leap To Fame did all the work and won in great style, connections of Captains Mistress opted to drive her conservatively and she was held up in traffic and never saw daylight.

She would’ve seriously tested Leap To Fame with clear running, maybe even beaten him.

“That’s one they left on the table,” driver Cam Hart said. “You won’t see her driven like that against him again.

“She’s had a great build-up. This was always the plan to win the Rising Sun and go to the Inter Dominion.

“We’re ready to go with him and see if we’re good enough to beat him.”

Captains Mistress has history against her.

Not since the Bob Knight-trained Jodie’s Babe in 1989 has a mare won an Inter Dominion final.

Pause and think about the great mares we’ve seen since, including Tailamade Lombo, Amazing Dream, Adore Me, Mainland Banner, Ladies In Red and others.

Not that many of them tried to win an Inter Dominion, but that says a lot about Captains Mistress that connections are trying, especially against an all-time great like Leap To Fame on his home deck.

They have their final lead-up runs on Saturday night.

Leap To Fame should work to the front and win his heat, while Captains Mistress is $1.05 to win a five-horse Kevin Thomas 4YO feature.

To Gus, and this looms his $500,000 trotting final to lose on Saturday week.

He toyed with his rivals on night one and is $1.20 to repeat the dose on Saturday night.

If the defending champion Arcee Phoenix leads from gate two, we might get a better guide on Gus.

But at his fourth bid to win an Inter Dominion, the penny looks to have dropped for Gus and that wicked, pacing-like speed of his is a weapon no trotting rivals in this series can match.