Courtesy of News Corp
Champion Queensland harness trainer Grant Dixon is well placed to upstage Australia’s best three-year-olds and win his second Group 1 NSW Derby a remarkable 28 years after he won his first.
Dixon teamed with his late father Bill to win the classic at Harold Park in 1994 with Jeremy Lee. The win is still one of his most treasured moments in the game.
Since then, he’s taken all the best horses he has trained back to try and win it again, but the closest he’s come was second with Majestic Mach in 2013 behind subsequent Inter Dominion hero Lennytheshark.
But Dixon is back, this time with a twin-pronged attack – Leap To Fame and Tims A Trooper - in Saturday night’s $200,000 feature at Menangle.
“1994 seems a long, long time ago,” Dixon laughed.
“It’s a race we like to have a go at, but we haven’t had much right in some of the finals.”
Three of the best horses Dixon has trained – Colt Thirty One, Majestic Mach and Governor Jujon – all won their heats of the NSW Derby, but couldn’t win the final.
“Majestic Mach was probably the one that got away. We didn’t have a great week with him between the heat and the final and it was a bit of a messy race. He went great,” he said.
Colt Thirty One ran fifth in 2018 and Governor Jujon finished eighth at Dixon’s most recent attempt two years ago.
True to form, both Leap To Fame and Tims A Trooper won their qualifying heats of the Derby at Menangle last Saturday night.
Both are owned by Kevin and Kay Seymour and won very impressively.
But moderate luck in the barrier draws compared to their main dangers has left Dixon knowing his pair will need luck to end his frustrating streak in the final.
Leap To Fame, who Dixon will drive, has drawn barrier eight, but will start from six if the two emergencies come out.
It’s much worse for Tims A Trooper, who will start from the outside gate (barrier 10) in the 2400m final.
In contrast, the other heat winner Major Perry drew gate two and will come into the pole if first emergency Uncle Miki doesn’t get a run.
“Those draws don’t help, that’s for sure,” Dixon said. “At least it’s the long 2400m and not just a sprint race, but they’ll still need luck, especially Tims A Trooper from out there.”
Dixon has a slight personal preference to Leap To Fame, but countered that by saying Tims A Trooper already has a feature race win on the board and at Menangle.
“He went there last season and won the Breeders Challenge, while Leap To Fame didn’t even qualify for the final,” he said.
“They both won their heats well and if they run up to that and have a bit of luck in the run, they’ll both be very competitive.
“Robbie Morris (driver of Tims A Trooper) is going to have to drive a great race from out there.”
Leap To Fame goes into the final with some serious X-factor with his 13 starts netting 10 wins and two seconds.