TWO more ‘Golden Ticket’ winners were added to the 2024 NSW Inter Dominion roster at Menangle on Saturday night.
Star pacer Leap To Fame showed he is in prime order to defend his Inter Dominion title after effortlessly winning the Battle Of Beersheba Free-For-All and collecting that ‘Golden Ticket’ along the way.
Following his scratching out of the Victoria Cup two weeks prior due to a virus, Leap To Fame shrugged off any doubt, rating 1:52 for the 2300m feature – just six tenths of a second outside the world record.
Trainer-driver Grant Dixon was relieved after the performance.
“We were just hoping tonight that he felt like his old self and really wanted to get into it which he did,” said Dixon.
“He really wanted to get going halfway around the corner, but I held onto him for a bit and just let him go the last 100 (metres) to make sure no one caught him.”
Zipping home the Menangle straight in a closing quarter of 26.9 seconds, evergreen pacer Max Delight was more than seven metres away in second with Don Lou a further metre away in third.
A slick time was also run in the other ‘Golden Ticket’ feature on the night, when Victorian trotter Aldebaran Zeus rated 1:54.4 in the Tony and Jill McGrath Trotters Free-For-All.
Racing outside the leader for most of the feature, Aldebaran Zeus powered to the line in closing quarters of 27.8 and 28 seconds to beat Toro Stride and Sunny Gee.
Reinsman Baily McDonough continued his unbeaten streak on the Brent Lilley-prepared horse, making it two wins in as many drives behind him.
“He was super strong – even when they ran that 27.8 around the bend he was charging on the bit and I was really happy with him at that point but once I got those blinds down, he motored through his gears and felt great again,” said McDonough.
Aldebaran Zeus is currently ranked in 11 for the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship and will climb up the rankings following this performance.
The third round of rankings for ID24 will be released on October 30.
