LEAP To Fame has further cemented his greatness by winning one of the strongest, tightest and fascinating tussles to be crowned 2024 Australian Harness Horse of the Year.
The champion Queensland pacer edged-out global superstar trotter Just Believe (Orlando Vici FRA – Heavens Above USA) and unbeaten trotting sensation Keayang Zahara (Volstead USA – Keayang Yankee) in a vote many felt could have gone any of three ways.
In any normal year, all three would have been fitting winners.
Leap To Fame (Bettors Delight USA – Lettucereason) raced 16 times last year for 15 wins, a close second and banked a record for a single season with $1,451,428.
That’s despite missing the marquee races like the Victoria and NZ Cups and an Inter Dominion title defence late last year due to a health setback.
His major 2024 wins came in the Hunter Cup, Miracle Mile and Blacks A Fake.
In winning the Miracle Mile, he became the first and only other horse since the great Preux Chevalier in 1985 to complete the “Triple Crown” in the same campaign – Inter Dominion, Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile.
Trainer-driver Grant Dixon said the Miracle Mile was his biggest thrill of 2024.
“It’s a race with such history and so hard to win … to do it and create history from such a wide barrier (draw) was very special,” he said.
Owner Kevin Seymour said he is humbled Leap To Fame won the Australian Horse of the Year title for a second successive year, especially against such strong opposition.
“This one means a lot. We’re biased so of course we think he deserved it, but to get it ahead of a great, great trotter like Just Believe after what he did … it feels like we’ve really had to earn it,” he said.
“I’ve said it before, but this horse has just taken us all, Kay (Seymour’s wife), myself, Grant and Trista (Dixon) all on the most wonderful ride. Hopefully there’s still lots more to come.
“Kay and I have been in the game for more than 50 years, we’re in the latter stages of life and now we have this champion come along. It really is a dream come true.”
Leap To Fame, who has rightly been compared with all the all-time greats of Australasian harness racing, continued the trend of multiple winners in the Australian Harness Horse of the Year.
The son of Bettors Delight became the ninth multiple winner. King Of Swing (2020, ’21 and ’22), Im Themightyquinn (2011, ’12 and ’13), Blacks A Fake (2007, ’08 and ’09), Our Sir Vancelot (1997, ’98 and ’99) and Westburn Grant (1989, ’91 and ’92) all won it three times.
Other dual winners have been Sokyola (2004 and ’05) and Gammalite (1982 and ’84).
Although nosed-out in the major award, the recently retired Just Believe won the Australian Trotter of the Year crown for the second successive year. He won 15 of 18 starts last year, including five at Group 1 level, three of those in NZ.
He was the first trotter to do so since Tornado Valley in 2019 and 2020.
Leap To Fame led a stunning set of awards for Dixon and the Seymours, who snared the two-year-old colt or gelding title with Fate Awaits (Always B Miki USA – For All We Know) and two-year-old filly of the year with Cool And Classy (Captaintreacherous US – Charming Allie).
Dixon was also the Leading Australian Trainer in 2024.
There was a national spread to the awards with strong Queensland favour, a NSW influence with Aardies Express (Aged Pacing Mare of the Year) and Rainbow Jester (Two Year Old Trotting Colt/Gelding) and WA’s Water Lou (Three Year Old Pacing Filly).
Victorian horses won seven of the of the 15 categories, with Just Believe joined by Keayang Zahara (Three Year Old Trotting Filly), Bay Of Biscay (Somebeachsomewhere USA – Nike Franco - Three Year Old Pacing Colt/Gelding), Gatesys Gem (Aldebaran Eagle USA – Gatesys Girl - Two Year Trotting Filly), Derek The Jet (Volstead USA – Cyclone Jeter NZ - Three Year Old Trotting Colt/Gelding) and Queen Elida (Love You FRA – Queen Kenny NZ - Aged Trotting Mare).
To watch the awards on Sky click here
