Leap To Fame ID23 Final Win Photo by Dan Costello
LEVIATHAN Queensland businessman and passionate owner Kevin Seymour fears a wide barrier draw may have ruined his one remaining "dream" in harness racing.
Across more than 50 years as an owner, breeder, sponsor and even administrator in harness racing, the $1mil Miracle Mile is the one really big race to have eluded Seymour and his wife, Kay.
And that's essentially the only reason Australia's pin-up pacer will be at Menangle tomorrow (Saturday night).
Seymour admits he has had to "nudge" trainer-driver Grant Dixon, maybe even go against his wishes, to chase a Miracle Mile win.
"Grant's not an avid supporter of Leap To Fame running this week, that's fair to say," Seymour said. "But this is the one major Australian race Kay and I haven't won, and at our age, especially with a horse like this, we won't get many more chances."
"To win the Miracle Mile would be the pinnacle of success, especially with the chance of running a really fast time."
"We've won Inter Dominions, Hunter Cups, Blacks A Fake, and so many others, but never a Miracle Mile."
"We had two goes at it with Mr Feelgood, who won those other two races, but he ran fourth in really strong fields both times."
"Leap To Fame is the horse we've dreamt of getting for more than 50 years … we've got to have a crack at it."
But Seymour was flattened when Leap To Fame drew gate nine, meaning that he would start from barrier seven after the emergencies came out on Saturday night.
No pacer has won the Miracle Mile from wider than barrier six.
Further, Leap To Fame is trying to become only the second horse and the first since the mighty Preux Chevalier 39 years ago to win Australia's pacing "Triple Crown" in one campaign, having already snared the Inter Dominion and Hunter Cup.
"The draw was demoralizing; I've lost my spark," Seymour said about the wide barrier. "We don't have much luck with barriers at Menangle; we usually end up in the car park and have again this week."
"If you hear of a guy walking the streets of Brisbane looking dishevelled and disillusioned, it's probably me."
"Luckily, I believe in miracles because we'll need one to create history and win from way out there."
For all of Leap To Fame's greatness and heroics so far, Seymour knows this is by far his biggest challenge, and there are so many hurdles to overcome.
"Where do you start?" he said. "There's the draw, the 12 hours of travel down from Brisbane, the short distance which isn't ideal for him, and then there's the retention barn. He spends his days in a big paddock at home, so being stuck in a stall isn't something he enjoys."
Seymour has stopped short of calling Leap To Fame a champion yet and goes back to the last Australian pacer he was comfortable giving that tag to … four-time Inter Dominion winner Blacks A Fake.
"You know he had four tries at winning the Miracle Mile and couldn't. He never had to deal with barrier seven, either," he said.
Blacks A Fake's best performances were seconds in 2006 and 2010.
So, what would defying the odds and winning this Miracle Mile mean?
"It means I'd call Leap To Fame a champion and think everyone else would too; that's what it would mean," Seymour said.
"I've reserved my view so far, but if he can overcome everything and win on Saturday night, he would deservedly be called a champion."
* Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
