Cup week contenders tick boxes on both sides of the Tasman

Leap To Fame (Bettors Delight – Lettucereason) stayed on track for Christchurch with another commanding win at Albion Park on Saturday night, and he was one of several New Zealand Cup week contenders to tick a box over the past two days.

Driven by Grant Dixon, the seven-year-old began well from barrier seven in the Racing & Sports.com Open Pace over 1660m, led and won by 6.8 metres from Dashing at $1.04. He rated 1:51.3 on a Good track, running his last two quarters in 26.3 and 26.9 seconds.

The win keeps him on the path his stable set in August, when Dixon chose to bypass the Victoria Cup and build towards the New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington on Tuesday, November 10.

“We’ve tried to win that a few times and haven’t,” Grant Dixon said of the Victoria Cup.

Leap To Fame is $1.60 favourite in TAB’s all-in market for the NZ Cup, ahead of Marketplace at $5 and Dangerous at $9.

On the same Albion Park card, trotter Gus NZ (Majestic Son – Kylie Ree) won the Wolf Signs Trotters Discretionary Handicap over 2647m from the 50-metre mark, beating Pinnie by 7.6 metres at $1.50 for trainer Chantal Turpin and driver Pete McMullen.

The seven-year-old gelding rated 1:56.3, a track record, and did it in persistent rain, with the track officially rated Good. HarnessLink has reported both he and Leap To Fame are ready for the New Zealand trip, and Gus is $2 in TAB’s futures market for the Dominion Handicap on NZ Cup day.

At Menangle on Saturday night, Swayzee (Rock N Roll Heaven – Lettucereason) returned to the winner’s list in the Club Menangle Kevin Robinson FFA over 1609m. Driven by Cameron Hart from barrier three, the eight-year-old gelding settled back early, was second at the 800 metres and 400 metres, and held off Golly Gee Fellas by 1.6 metres, with Ripp a further 3.0 metres away third.

He started the $1.65 favourite and rated 1:48.9, coming home in 27.8 and 27.5 seconds. It was his first win since the A G Hunter Cup in February, in just his second run back from a spell after finishing fourth, beaten 1.3 metres, in the Geelong Cup on October 3.

Trained by Jason Grimson, the dual NZ Cup winner is $15 in TAB’s market. He is also a half-brother to Leap To Fame, out of the same dam, and was the horse who beat him by 0.8 metres in that Hunter Cup.

In Auckland on Friday night, Merlin (Art Major – Imaginary Bet) headed a stable trifecta for Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan in the five-horse Spend Melbourne Cup Day In The Alex Mobile Pace over 1609m at Alexandra Park.

Driven by Zac Butcher, the six-year-old horse started the $1.95 favourite with NZ TAB and beat stablemate Better Knuckle Up by a neck, with Sooner The Bettor a further four and a quarter lengths back in third. He rated 1:52.3 on a Fast track, with the race’s last 800 metres run in 56.0 and last 400 metres in 27.6.

Merlin and Better Knuckle Up are both $21 in TAB’s NZ Cup market.

Leap To Fame is owned by Solid Earth Pty Ltd and Swayzee by Boots Properties Racing Pty Ltd, L F Drake, N Jackson and J R Grimson, and both were bred by Redbank Lodge Standardbreds. Gus is owned by Ross Patrick and was bred by Nathan Williamson. Merlin races for Montana Park Pty Ltd and was bred by Taffy Limited.

 

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From Harnesslink Media