Heats for the 2023 Victoria Derby are set down to be run at Melton on Saturday night with the Group One final a week later.
Twelve months ago and fans were salivating at the prospect of star Queensland colt Leap To Fame clashing with the Victorian duo of Catch A Wave and Captain Ravishing.
Captain Ravishing started a $1.55 favourite in his Derby heat and beat Leap To Fame that night and earned favouritism for the $200,000 final on the back of that win.
It is history now that Leap To Fame leapt to fame and into the national psyche in the Victoria Derby final with a slashing win and the commencement of a eight race winning streak.
This streak saw him elevated in the minds of some to the status of Australia’s best pacer and become a millionaire and win the title of Australian 3yo Colt/Gelding in the process.
Leap To Fame is still regarded as Australia’s best pacer as we head into the heats of the 2024 Victoria Derby this week.
The 2024 Nutrien Yearling Sales provide two opportunities for yearling buyers to purchase close relatives to Leap To Fame.
The Nutrien Melbourne Sale will see Justin Kahlefeldt offer an American Ideal half-sister to Leap To Fame and the filly is sure to attract a huge amount of interest.
This filly is also a half-sister to Swayzee p,1:52.0 $369,364 which brought Leap To Fame’s eight race winning streak to an end in the Group One Blacks A Fame Championship at Albion Park.
The filly’s full-brother Maximus Red has won 30 races and $333,026 in Australia and the USA.
Her dam, the Art Major mare Lettucereason, took a record of 1:55.9 and her 17 wins saw her earn stakes of $180,073.
She is a full-sister to Australian 3yo Pacer of the Year For A Reason p,1:49.4 $1,111,470.
A full-sister to For A Reason and Lettucereason in the four-time 3yo winner Deadly Woman is the dam of another American Ideal filly which will be offered by Sloys Company Pty Ltd in the 2024 Nutrien Sydney yearling sale.
Deadly Woman is already the dam of four winners including the Bathurst Gold Tiara runner-up Hot Shot Woman p,1:52.1 $170,263 and Mondooley Mach p,1:58.5 $103,740.
Be sure to check out the pedigrees when the catalogues for the 2024 Nutrien Yearling Sales go on-line later this month.