By Adam Hamilton
Mighty stayer Swayzee made quite a statement at his first run since last month’s successful New Zealand Trotting Cup defence at Addington when he toyed with his rivals at Bathurst last night (Thursday).
The gelding, who turns seven in a few days, obliterated the 2790m Bathurst track record on his way to a 17.4m win in a 1min54.9sec mile rate, taking a full second off Alta Orlando’s 2019 record.
It was Swayzee’s first run since he defied a frantic racing and travel schedule to win his second successive NZ Cup at Addington on November 12.
Swayzee has raced just 10 times in 2024 for seven wins and three seconds, two of those second behind his champion half-brother Leap To Fame.
The sparkling Bathurst win should prime Swayzee for his return to chasing $1 million bonus by taking out all five legs of the NSW Carnival of Cups series.
Swayzee won the first two at Parkes (September 20) and Young (November 8) and now heads to Tamworth on January 17.
Victory at Tamworth would secure Swayzee at least a $250,000 bonus. That doubles to $500,000 if he can win Tamworth and add Albury on February 14.
All going well, the rising seven-year-old would then be racing for the $1 million bonus at Penrith on March 15.
The focus on the NSW series means Swayzee will almost certainly bypass the Group 1 Hunter Cup at Melton on February 1.
“It’s very unlikely he’ll go there,” trainer Jason Grimson said.
But the odds of Leap To Fame tackling the Hunter Cup have firmed this week.
His trainer-driver Grant Dixon said the champion pacer was “back doing fast work” after health issues forced him to miss the Victoria and NZ Cups as well as the NSW Inter Dominion.
The timing works for Leap To Fame to have a lead-up race or two before heading to Victoria to try and defend his Hunter Cup crown.
