By Adam Hamilton
Champion Aussie stayer Swayzee remains on target for the IRT NZ Trotting Cup despite being ruled-out of a key lead-up race.
Trainer Jason Grimson has confirmed Swayzee would not defend his crown in next Saturday’s $A250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton after a health setback.
But he quickly stressed Swayzee would still chase a record-equalling third successive $1m NZ Cup on November 11.
Swayzee was a clear $4 second favourite for the Victoria Cup behind his arch-rival and younger half-brother Leap To Fame ($1.35). Leap To Fame’s odds have now been slashed to $1.20.
The pair have clashed six times with Leap To Fame holding a 4-2 advantage, but Swayzee did beat Leap To Fame when they clashed at Melton in the Hunter Cup on February 1.
Swayzee’s setback paves the way for his regular driver Cam Hart to be reunited with TAB Eureka winner Bay Of Biscay in the Victoria Cup should connections wish.
Victorian young gun Ryan Sanderson will drive Bay Of Biscay in tomorrow night’s Smoken Up Sprint at Melton and was expected to keep the drive in the Victoria Cup given Hart’s long and amazing association with Swayzee.
Hart has been aboard Bay Of Biscay for his two biggest wins, in the Group 1 Chariots Of Fire in March and last month’s TAB Eureka.
Doubts emerged over Swayzee when he was easily beaten for the second time in as many runs this campaign, and for the fourth start in succession, at Menangle last Saturday night.
Grimson will now use the 2300m Battle of Beersheba free-for-all at Menangle on October 25 to fine-tune Swayzee for his NZ raid.
Swayzee won the race in 2023 before his first NZ Cup win, while Leap To Fame also won it last year before a throat infection derailed his NZ plans.
Cutting it fine is nothing new for Swayzee when it comes to the NZ Cup.
In a remarkable set of circumstances, the gelding had an eight-hour return road trip to win at Young on November 8 last year before flying to Auckland and then onto Christchurch and winning his second NZ Cup less than four days later.
Swayzee has been sparingly raced since that win with just 11 starts over the past 11 months.
Grimson opted to give him a long spell and bypass the Brisbane Inter Dominion series in July and he returned with a sixth in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile on September 6 and last week’s second to the emerging Kingman at Menangle.
