On a Saturday night where celebrated Queensland harness racing loyalists – Kevin and Kay Seymour – owned or bred four major race winners at Albion Park (June 21), it was the second youngest of their seven grandchildren that made his own impact on the nine-race card.
In fact, 29-year-old Ben Seymour had never owned a racehorse until earlier this year when he bought Always B Miki colt, and 2024 APG sales entry, Fire And Passion, off his grandparents.
“He’s the first racehorse I have owned, and what a start I’ve had into the industry! Nana and Pop have had so much success in harness racing over a long time, and their love of sport has been infectious. I’ve wanted to get involved for quite a while now but the last year or so has been the right time for me to do it,” Brisbane Boys Grammar-educated Seymour said.
“Some people wait a lifetime to get a $100,000 race winner, and now I’ve achieved that feat after just four starts with a 2-year-old. It’s still all a bit hard to take in really. I’ve got the bug. I want to buy more,” he added.
The Ben Seymour-owned and the Solid Earth Pty Ltd (Kevin and Kay) bred Fire And Passion dealt to his nine opponents in the $100,000 Australian Pacing Gold Brisbane Sale Graduates 2yo Colts & Graduates Final by a whopping 27.3 metres.
The brown colt was the microscopic $1.12 favourite and paced the 1,660m mobile in 1:57.7, with a slick personal best 1:54.1 mile rate. He sprinted is last quarter (400m) in a slashing 27.6 seconds. The Seymour’s Tamborine trainer, Grant Dixon, did the driving.
Fire And Passion has now had five starts for four wins, and has amassed $72,567 in purses since his 9.3m debut win at ‘The Creek’ on April 25 this year.
Kevin and Kay bred him out of their 2013 Mach Three – Sparks Under Fire (Fake Left) eight-win mare, Fire One (1:53.7). Fire And Passion is the fourth of five foals left by that bay mare. She also has a Bettors Delight brown yearling filly, who was born on October 16, 2023.
“Fire One has really proven herself as a broodmare with all three of her previous foals before Fire And Passion, having won races, but my fella is so far the second biggest earner of her progeny. That’s quite amazing considering he’s only had five starts,” Seymour said.
Foal one, the late 2019 Hurrikane Kingcole black gelding, Fiestynfearless only had nine starts, but did manage to win at Redcliffe Paceway on November 23, 2023.
Fire One’s second foal, the 2020 Ohoka Punter mare, Firebolt (1:55.3), has so far won seven races and $61,252, while foal three, the 3-year-old Bettors delight gelding, Fire Raiser (1:52.5) has won five of his 12 starts and $113,798, including the Group One $150,000 Qbred Triad Final at Albion Park on August 17 last year.
“Even though ownership is new to me I’ve watched Nana and Pop’s horses run over thew years. Like I said earlier, their love of standardbreds has become infectious. I’ve seen many good horses win for them over the years like millionaire pacers winner Colt Thirty One (51 wins and 1:51.2), and the greatest of them all – Leap To Fame (1:48.3), who has so far nailed 53 wins and 11 placings (from 66 starts) and $4.05 million in stakes.
“I just want to thank them both so much for what they have done for me. As the industry well knows they are very passionate and generous harness racing people. This horse (Fire And Passion) is a real credit to them. It would also be remiss of me not to thank Grant and Trista (Dixon) for the mazing work they have done with him. After the race Grant said he still had plenty of engine left in him at the line. That’s amazing considering he won by more than 27 metres,” Seymour said.
Seymour, who is an Associate Director for the Seymour Group of Companies, and is based in both Brisbane and Sydney, said it was actually the 1997 Fake Left chestnut filly, Cherry Cheer (1:56.7), that got him hooked on racing.
“I was only a young fella in Primary School and I remember her winning 19 races (from 25 starts). She won the Victoria and Australian Oaks and I was really taken by her. I know I’ve taken my time but two decades later I’ve finally bought my own horse and what a beauty he is. He’s a lovely natured and powerful animal.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better horse to own first-up. I’m hoping he can go on with it now and win a Group One race. His next big start is likely to be in the Ladbrokes Protostar Pace at Albion Park on July 12.”
Last Saturday night’s QLD Sales Graduate 2yo Fillies winner, Amylee, was also passed through the sale ring at the same Gold Coast Sale in 2024.
Owned and bred by Solid Earth Pty Ltd, the Dixon trained and driven daughter of American Ideal won the $100,000 feature by a head as the $4.80 third favourite. She is the first foal out of the 2014 Bettors Delight 14-win Group Two winning mare, Aqua Miss (1:52.1).
It was Amylee’s first win in seven starts and she paced the 1,660m mobile in 1:56.2 with a final 28.9 second quarter.
Solid Earth Pty Ltd also owned and bred the winner of the Group Two $216,000 The Hayden for 3&4yo pacers.
The Grant Dixon trained and Adam Sanderson driven Call To Order upset her nine opponents at odds of $13 when scoring by half-a-head with a 1:53.4 winning mile-rate.
But perhaps the highlight of the evening came when one of the world’s best pacers, Leap To Fame easily won his 15th race from 16 starts this season in the 2025 Pace With Mates Lucky Creed Open.
Owned by Solid Earth Pty Ltd and bred by Redbank Lodge Standardbreds in Wagga Wagga, he is another graduate of our sales. The brilliant son of Bettors Delight and Lettucereason (Art Major) readied himself for the July Interdominion Series in Brisbane with another easy 7.1m victory as the $1.06 favourite.
Trained and driven by Dixon, Leap To Fame strolled home with a 1:54.7 mile-rate. It was the multiple Group One winning 6-year-old entire’s 53rd win in 66 starts.
It’s therefore no surprise that he is the $1.35 favourite for the Interdominion Grand Final to be run at Albion Park on July 19.
From APG Media
