Tims A Trooper Photo by Club Menangle
LEAP To Fame is the raging hot TAB Eureka favourite, but his trainer Grant Dixon is pushing to have a second runner in the world’s richest harness race.
The classy Tims A Trooper has spent his life living in Leap To Fame’s shadow and got little credit himself to bank almost $350,000 from 11 wins and 20 placings in just 46 starts.
The four-year-old is already a Group 1 winner, boasts a third in a Breeders Crown final and has chased home Leap To Fame in so many major races, including the recent Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park on July 8.
But, with just two of the 10 TAB Eureka slots left open, Tims A Trooper’s chances of getting into the 2400m feature are running out.
That’s why Dixon has locked in a trip to Menangle for the inaugural $50,000 The Singo on Saturday week.
The race was created by John Singleton and the Menangle club as a vehicle for Singleton to choose which horse will run in his slot in the $2.1mil TAB Eureka on September 2.
Tims A Trooper will sharpen up for The Singo when he tackles the opening race at Albion Park on Saturday night.
“We really think he deserves a spot in the Eureka,” said owner Kevin Seymour, who also races Leap To Fame.
“He’s been in the top races at two, three and now four and has run some fantastic races. He’s come back better again this season.
“We hoped somebody would have picked him up already for a slot, but he deserves his chance, so we’ll send him down to The Singo, where he’ll be very hard to beat.”
Apart from Singleton’s slot, the only other remaining slot is that of Wayne Loader under his “Western Jewel” banner.
But most expect Loader will take his own talented four-year-old Ripp, who resumed from injury with a solid fifth at Menangle last Saturday night and backs up from gate three in the second race at Menangle on Saturday night.
Tims A Trooper’s NSW trip will make for a busy weekend for Dixon, who will give Leap To Fame his final lead-up run at Albion Park next Friday night.
“He seems great,” he said. “You always wonder a bit what a really hard run like that Blacks A Fake will take out of a horse, so it was as much a relief as anything to have him come out and go so well last Saturday.
“He felt terrific, really bright and sharp. He did it so easily.
“Hopefully, they get enough runners for the race to go ahead next Friday. That would be the ideal preparation, but if they don’t, it’s no real issue. He’s very close to his top now.’
“It’s next Friday or no other lead-up. I won’t race him the week before because we’re taking him down to Sydney on the Sunday, and I don’t want him racing the night before he travels.”
Leap To Fame is a commanding $1.80 favourite for the TAB Eureka.
It’s a big weekend of build-up racing with his two main dangers, Catch A Wave and The Lost Storm, both racing at Melton on Saturday night.
*Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
