Leap To Fame on another level in Inter Dominion victory

Hometown hero Leap To Fame's stamped his greatness with an emotion-charged moment of redemption in Saturday night's Brisbane Inter Dominion final.

Leap To Fame's biggest win in the sport's most iconic race was by far a career highlight for champion trainer-driver Grant Dixon and moved his normally steely owner Kevin Seymour to burst into tears and be lost for words at the presentation.

"To win this race, in front of this town crowd and do it with Grant and Trista (Dixon's wife) is just so special," Seymour said before emotions overcame him.

Seymour later said Leap To Fame was the horse he and wife, Kay, had been dreaming of in 50 years in harness racing.

"We've won lots of big races, including the Gold Coast Inter Dominion with Mr Feelgood the last time it was in Queensland (2009), but this is so different. It's just a whole different level," he said.

Dixon, champion of Queensland harness racing, said Leap To Fame was "a once in a lifetime" horse.

"He's the result of my father (Bill) before me and now myself and Trista trying to find one like him for 70 years," he said.

“Operation Interdominion COMPLETE!”

It's all Leap To Fame in the #ID23 Pacing Championship Grand Final. ???? pic.twitter.com/LECkI0g94U

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 16, 2023

"When he won the NSW Derby (February, last year) I thought he was the horse we'd been dreaming of getting and then he backed it up and won the Victoria Derby.

"I've had so much success and broken so many records here, but what's been missing is one of those really big wins and he's done it for us, in front of our home crowd and our family and friends."

Sparks flew early and Leap To Fame was able to get across his older half-brother and main danger Swayzee before working to the lead and reversing the roles from their only previous clash when Swayzee won the Blacks A Fake at Albion Park in July.

This time Leap To Fame led throughout in blistering times and gave Swayzee no chance of beating him on the outside with a track record-smashing 1min 53.5sec mile rate for 2680m. Swayzee fought on well for third, with much-improved Victorian Better Eclipse splitting the siblings in second spot.

Leap To Fame set the crowd alight when Dixon cut him loose rounding the final bend and went for home with a big league.

Still just a four-year-old, Leap To Fame was eased down in the closing stages to win by 10.6m.

The normally very reserved Dixon let his emotions show with a lavish victory salute across the line.

Those emotions gained momentum in recent months some doubters emerged around Leap To Fame when his Blacks A Fake defeat was followed by losses, albeit be brave runs, in the TAB Eureka and Victoria Cup.

"I just felt he deserved it … deserved a really big one," Dixon said.

Dixon and Seymour will now weigh-up options around a possible Hunter Cup tilt in February or wait to the Miracle Mile a month later.

Better Eclipse's second placing, helped by a brilliant Greg Sugars drive, showed how he's come since seventh in last year's Melton Inter Dominion.

“DON'T STOP DREAMING, JUST KEEP BELIEVING!”

Just Believe dominates the #ID23 Trotting Championship Grand Final. ???? pic.twitter.com/1jWescORAI

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 16, 2023

And Swayzee lost no admirers with a fighting third given his early burn and doing all the work outside Leap To Fame in record time.

Meanwhile, champion trotter Just Believe completed the "Larry" and "Harry" show when he cruised to his second successive Inter Dominion trotting final win.

Leap To Fame's stable name is "Larry" and trainers Jess Tubbs and Greg Sugars call Just Believe "Harry" around home.

Just Believe created history by becoming the first trotter to clean sweep two consecutive Inter Dominion series by winning all three heats and finals.

"To do it after going to the other side of the world (Sweden) for so long in the middle of the year and coming back an even better horse shows how amazing he is," Sugars said.

"He cruised in tonight. He's just a perfect racehorse and makes us look good. We're so privileged to have him."

It was Sugar's third successive driving win in the trotting final with Maori Law in 2021 and Just Believe the past two years.

* Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp