Swayzee with trainer Jason Grimson and driver Cameron Hart after winning last year’s Victoria Cup. Photo- Stuart McCormick.
The once-unbreakable aura surrounding champion stayer Swayzee is beginning to fade, casting a long shadow over his bid to defend the prestigious Victoria Cup. With the Group 1 classic at Melton just 13 days away, the usually relentless Swayzee is now mired in an unfamiliar and unsettling four-race losing streak—the longest of his 23-start, two-and-a-half-year career under master trainer Jason Grimson.
This unprecedented slump has racing alike questioning whether the rising eight-year-old’s best days are now behind him.
Swayzee’s two starts this preparation have yielded two defeats, none more telling than last Saturday’s second-place finish to the emerging star Kingman.
Leading over the demanding $2300m trip at Menangle—a distance where he built his reputation as a titan—Swayzee was unable to hold off the late charge. It was only the second time in seven starts over 2300m or further that the powerful pacer has tasted defeat, marking a significant psychological shift. Just as he appeared in his first-up sixth in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile, Swayzee looked vulnerable rounding the home bend before his trademark fighting spirit saw him battle bravely to the line. However, he remains a long way off the horse who delivered one of the great modern upsets, upstaging the mighty Leap To Fame in the $500,000 Hunter Cup at the very Melton track on February1st.
The betting markets have reacted sharply, pushing Swayzee’s Victoria Cup odds out from an initial $4 to a generous-looking $6. Adding a layer of tactical intrigue is the uncertain status of Swayzee’s regular and highly successful driver, Cam Hart.
The connections of the exciting four-year-old Bay Of Biscay, a winner of the $1 million Eureka slot race, are actively holding out hope that Hart—regarded as one of Australia’s premier reinsmen—will instead commit to driving their pacer in the Cup.
Bay Of Biscay is scheduled to make his final tune-up in Saturday night’s $30,000 Smoken Up Sprint at Melton, a traditional springboard to the Cup.
Rumours have also circulated that Grimson might opt to send Swayzee into the Smoken Up to sharpen him up for the following week, which would force an immediate decision on Hart’s services. The outcome of the driver choice could prove pivotal in a high-pressure race where fractions and field position are critical.
In stark, relentless contrast to Swayzee’s indifferent form, his younger half-brother and arch-rival, Leap To Fame, appears to be in imperious condition. The Queensland champion effortlessly stretched his winning record at Albion Park to a staggering 23 successive races with an easy first-up victory last night. Having his first outing since winning a second Inter Dominion title on July 19th, trainer-driver Grant Dixon nursed his superstar through the run. Leap To Fame blazed home his closing splits in a blistering 53.7 seconds and 26.3 seconds respectively, winning without ever being fully extended.
The dominant performance solidified his position, and he will go straight into Saturday week’s $250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup as the overwhelming1.20 favourite.
The Victoria Cup is the one traditional major race the otherwise flawless champion has yet to conquer, adding an extra dimension of motivation for the Dixon stable.
The new challenger, Kingman, is also breathing down Swayzee’s neck. His powerful victory over the defending champion resulted in a massive market move, with his Victoria Cup odds being slashed from $16 to a menacing 6.
“He’s the new kid on the block. Look out, Victoria Cup, we’re coming at you,” declared an ecstatic owner-breeder, Mick Harvey. “We’ve got a massive opinion of this horse. He’s only four and getting better with every single run.”
Harvey’s endorsement carries serious weight, as he was a part-owner of the recently retired great King Of Swing, a winner of three Miracle Miles and two Hunter Cups.
Meanwhile, the consistent eight-time Group 1 winner Catch A Wave capped his preparation for a third attempt at the Victoria Cup with a dazzling win in the Casey Classic at Melton on Saturday. His best performance in the Cup remains a second-place finish in the 2023 edition, where he famously beat home Leap To Fame.
“He felt good and won well, but so he should have against those horses,” said driver Kate Gath. “It’ll be much harder in two weeks, but he seems back to his best.”
Victoria Cup night will also showcase the $100,000 Group 1 Bill Collins Trotters Sprint, where a new star has burst onto the scene. Jilliby Ballerini, a four-year-old mare, delivered one of the most stunning trotting displays witnessed at Melton in years. She left star rivals, including Inter Dominion champion Arcee Phoenix, in her wake as she roared away to win by an astonishing 20.7 metres in the Group 3 Australasian Trotting Championship. Her closing sectionals of 54.4 seconds and 26.7 seconds are almost unheard of for a trotter, setting up a thrilling confrontation in the Group 1 event.
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