ﾠPHOTO: Courtesy HRNZ
IMAGINE Via Sistina racing at Wagga instead of Randwick this weekend.
The equivalent will happen in harness racing tomorrow night (Friday) when superstar pacer Swayzee makes the 500km trip from his Menangle barn to Albury.
Albury officials are preparing for a packed house, with most ticketing already sold.
Swayzee is one of the great stayers of the modern era and a last-start winner of the iconic Hunter Cup – beating the mighty Leap To Fame - at Melton on February 1. He also won the Victoria Cup at Melton last October.
More remarkably, Swayzee is the only Aussie-trained pacer to win two NZ Cups – the past two – at Addington in Christchurch.
So why take him to Albury?
The lure is a guaranteed $532,700 prize if he wins.
The $60,000 Albury Murray Cup is the fourth leg of the NSW Carnival of Cups series and Swayzee has already won the first three at Parkes, Young and Tamworth.
Winning four legs carries a $500,000 bonus, which grows to $1 million if Swayzee can win at Albury then add the last leg, the Renshaw Cup, at Penrith on March 14.
If he goes all the way, Swayzee will be racing for the single biggest cheque in Australian harness history at Penrith.
Despite facing a capacity field from and outside back row barrier draw, Swayzee is classes above his rivals as shown by the market, which has him a $1.10 favourite.
Trainer Jason Grimson said the seven-year-old has thrived since Hunter Cup win, staying in Victoria for an extended stint on the water-walker at Tyrone Abela’s property for a change-up.
Swayzee has been a revelation since joining Grimson’s stable in mid-2023.
In 25 starts or the stable, the gelding has won 19 times with three seconds, two thirds and a fourth.
Three of those placings have been behind Leap To Fame, but he has also managed to beat the Queensland champion twice.
The Hunter Cup win took his earnings to $1,988,393.
Swayzee has won over $550,000 more than his nine Albury rivals combined.
Driver Cam Hart said the staying distance of 2570m was the biggest thing in Swayzee’s favour.
“It’s why this series suits him so much, they are all staying he races and he’s such a great stayer,” he said.
“It’s never easy when you’ve got to come around them all from a draw like that around a small track like Albury, but he’s done it before.
“It won't be a stroll in the park. Captain Hammerhead is a nice horse and I've got time for Catalpa Rescue, too.
"But this race fits his schedule well and his main target is a month away, so we can afford to really get right into it and make a strong contest.
"I think the Hunter Cup is as good as he's gone so far. Not selling short his other big wins, but to come from the back row and beat that field was pretty special. It's the biggest thrill I've had, so that probably says it all."
The presence of classy five-year-old Captain Hammerhead adds plenty of interest.
The five-year-old is a Group 1 placegetter, has contested features like the TAB Eureka and Chariots Of Fire, and won the Shepparton Cup two starts back before being disqualified due to trainer-driver David Moran’s driving actions in the home straight.
