Three of Australasia’s best pacers will go head-to-head in the $150,000 Group 1 Cranbourne Cup next Saturday evening.
In another big win for Harness Racing Victoria’s bonus and Cranbourne’s decision to increase the prize money by $50,000, Leap To Fame, Kingman and Swayzee will meet in the same race for the first time.
“That’s great. What a great race we have ahead of us,” said Cam Gallagher, GM of the Cranbourne Harness Racing Club.
Trainer Jason Grimson last week identified Cranbourne as Swayzee’s main lead-up race for a Hunter Cup title defense on February 14.
Leap To Fame’s trainer-driver Grant Dixon confirmed his plans just after a track record victory in the $100,000 Group 2 Ballarat Cup on Saturday evening.
And Luke McCarthy completed the trifecta when he confirmed Kingman had come through their wayward Ballarat Cup defeat well and would be back for a fourth week in a row.
“He’s going to Cranbourne. He just couldn’t handle the tight corners at Ballarat but the run didn’t knock him over. He’s great today (Sunday),” he said.
It was the first time in four clashes that Leap To Fame defeated Kingman.
Unlike the Shepparton Gold Cup a week earlier when Kingman was in the lead, Leap To Fame found the front at Ballarat and always looked in control.
While Kingman has a 3-1 lead over Leap To Fame, Swayzee and Kingman are 1-1 after their two matchups.
They first met in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile in September when, astonishingly, they were both unplaced. Swayzee finished sixth and Kingman seventh.
Then Kingman stalked and ran down Swayzee (who was running second) in a Menangle free-for-all on October 4.
The trio of superstars have combined to win 110 races and nearly $8.3 million.
Their major wins include: past three NZ Cups, past two Inter Dominions, past two Victoria Cups, two Blacks A Fakes, a Miracle Mile and a Race by betcha in New Zealand.
Through Adam Hamiltonfor Harness Racing Victoria
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