3 minute read
The threat of being locked away from the inside draw looks the biggest obstacle to Leap To Fame avenging last year’s defeat in Saturday night’s Ladbrokes Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship at Albion Park.
Redemption in Queensland's Grand Circuit event has been in focus ever since and in that 12 month period Leap To Fame has cemented his place at the top of the Australian pacing tree with a bagful of wins including an Inter Dominion, Mircale Mile, Hunter Cup and a second successive Sunshine Sprint last week.
But going into the barrier draw for this year's race, trainer/driver Grant Dixon had declared gates one and eight were the only positions he didn't want for his star and it is the inside barrier he'll have to overcome.
It is the same scenario to when Leap To Fame won the Wondais Mate earlier this month where he was drawn the ace and had the speedy Turn It Up directly on his outside, as he is again on Saturday.
On that night Dixon was able to pop off the pegs and slot straight in behind Turn It Up so it may come down to the gate speed of Nerano - the horse that will follow Turn It Up assuming there are no scratchings – and his ability to hold the back of Turn It Up to determine if a gap opens up for Leap To Fame again.
Bad luck looks Leap To Fame's biggest danger as he has proven in recent weeks that once away from the pegs and rolling he's just too hard to stop and the longer distance suits him too as he's won all four attempts outside of this race last year, including the Inter Dominion Final.
Not only is Nerano likely to play a key role in the settling positions but he can also add some value for each way or exotic players.
He caught the eye in the Sunshine Sprint last week when he hit the line well for fourth and the step up in trip should suit him as he beat Swayzee to score over it three starts back and also won an Inter Dominion heat at the journey.
A second row draw doesn't do any favours for defending champion Swayzee but he's another suited up to this distance having not only won this race last year but also a New Zealand Cup over two miles so he can stay and he'd suffered a setback before the last-start second to Leap To Fame so he should have come on.
District Attorney has been mixing with Leap To Fame as well as any horse we've seen in recent times so he has to go into exotic bets.
An ideal draw and the scratching of key rival Very Pretty sees Millwood Bliss beautifully placed to win the G1 Ladbrokes Queensland Oaks.
The filly beat older rivals in winning the Rising Sun consolation last start and that has become one of the form races of the carnival having produced four winners at last week's meeting including Golden Girl victor Eye Keep Smiling.
Millwood Bliss is building a terrific strike rate and is beautifully placed back against her own age and sex.
Kiwi filly and last-start South East Oaks winner Aardie B Miki looks the only real threat.
She draws on the back row so may need some luck but if the gaps come could be dangerous.
The Ladbrokes Queensland Derby couldn't be more different to the Oaks as it looks a very open race made even more difficult to assess by some awkward draws for the major players.
Minos has had little luck with barriers while campaigning in Queensland but there was merit in last week's effort when he worked to find the front then boxed on to place.
He finally draws favourably on Saturday and that gives him every chance to win in what is a very competitive affair.
Major Hot has yet to miss the top-three in Queensland and beat Minos in winning last week. He has come from the back row in his last three starts and while drawn wider this time he is going well enough to make an impact with even luck.
Bay Of Biscay heads north off an easy last-start win at Melton. He is another drawn on the back row and jumps in distance but he is a talented colt who should be hitting his peak third up.
Stablemate Kingman has ground to make up on Bay Of Biscay through his resuming second but should be better for that outing while Saifa draws for a trail and is worth including off a good effort to place against older rivals last week.
Gus can continue a winning streak in the night's final Group 1, the Pryde's Easifeed Queensland Trotters Cup.
Gus just keeps delivering and made it five wins in a row when he came from a similar draw and impressed in the G3 Trotters Sprint last week.
That was a step up for him but he handled it with ease and owns a good record at this longer distance so can do it again.
There is some strength behind him including Rockinwithattitude who was tough when she worked to the front from this same barrier and fought hard to win the G1 Great Square last start.
That was her third win from five attempts at this circuit and distance and she should make an impact again.
Mufasa Metro has ground to make up on Gus through last week's second but he is yet to miss a place at this longer distance and will be hitting his peak fourth up while London To A Brick draws on the back row but is racing well so must be a player again.