Leap To Fame. Photo by Club Menangle - Pacepix
Champion pacer Leap To Fame adds his star power to an elite program of racing for NSW Breeders Challenge finals night at Menangle on Saturday.
A virus derailed Leap To Fame's recent Victoria Cup bid and he will use Saturday's Battle Of Beersheba to get his New Zealand Cup campaign back on track.
It's an enticing side dish to a main course that features four Group 1 Breeders Challenge finals along with two more at Group 3 level.
Leap To Fame made it six wins in a row in the Smoken Up Sprint at Melton in his latest outing and the last time he raced at Menangle he was a brilliant winner of the Miracle Mile.
A setback is unlikely to be enough to stop him and he is very hard to tip against.
It's set to be a big night for Leap To Fame's trainer Grant Dixon who will have two-pronged attacks in two of the Breeders Challenge finals and all of his runners have fared well at the barrier draw.
That is particularly true of Fate Awaits who drew one in the two year-old colts and geldings decider, the same barrier he came from to win the Group 1 Protostar over the Brisbane winter.
He has been beaten into the placings as a hot favourite in his two NSW starts since then but should be back to peak fitness now and gets every chance to produce his best.
Early betting suggests his stablemate Path To Greatness is his biggest danger.
He suffered his first defeat when edged out by just a head from a wider barrier in his semi-final and beat Fate Awaits when winning two back at Newcastle. A good draw gives him the chance to do it again.
Hezatreacherous is four from four this time in and while drawn wider he scored from a similar barrier here earlier in his campaign.
Dixon also has the pole marker in the 3CG final in Air Express but the horse that beat him into second in last week's semi-final - War Dan Buddy - has also fared well and will start alongside him.
Trained by Emma Stewart, War Dan Buddy was an impressive winner last week when he drew deepest and raced three wide without cover but made a sustained run to score a tough win by 3m.
He had shown strong form in the Vicbred Super Series earlier in his campaign including a heat win and a fourth in the Group 1 final, both from second row barriers.
He already has a Menangle feature under his belt through last season's Gold Bullion final and the low draw can see him land another.
Air Express has 3m to make up on War Dan Buddy from last week but he too had to work in that race so the effort was strong.
He had won three in a row before that and should enjoy the favours from the inside draw so is a chance to turn the tables.
Emma Stewart has a big chance of winning both three-year-old finals with Renewal drawing three in the fillies decider.
She looks tough to stop from there having led from one spot wider for a 5m in last week's semi-final, taking her record at this circuit and distance to three wins and a second from four attempts.
That lone defeat came in last season's two-year-old final of this series but she gets every chance to atone this year.
Elusive has won both starts at this circuit since switching from Victoria, last week leading from wider and kicking on well to score by almost 2m. She faces a tougher rival in Renewal but she draws to enjoy the favours.
Gunna Reload will bid to extend her winning streak in the two-year-old fillies race.
She made it five from five this campaign when she took full advantage of the inside draw, leading to win her semi by 2.7m at this circuit and distance.
She draws a few spots wider but led for a dominant win from this barrier here three back.
Namaka showed her class with a fresh win at this circuit and distance then suffered her first defeat when edged out by just a nose in her semi. She draws wide but she is a talented filly who will be peaking third-up.
Sugar Pie Honey raced up to four wide when third to Gunna Reload last start, adding to a string of wins and placings. She draws to play a role again.
Captains Knock's bid for a clean sweep of the Breeders Challenge series received a major boost when he drew to lead the 4EG final while his two main rivals copped the outside barriers.
Captains Knock, who won the two and three-year-old finals over the past two years, is in hot form with back-to-back wins including a dominant performance from the front in last week's semi.
The other semi saw Oliver Dan edge out Captain Hammerhead and both are capable of threatening the favourite with their A-game but they will be relying on luck from the two deepest barriers.
Golden Girl winner Eye Keep Smiling also copped the extreme outside draw in the mares' final but has the class to overcome it.
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