DOUBTS have emerged over champion stayer Swayzee’s Victoria Cup title defence,
With the race just 12 days away, Swayzee is on a four-race losing streak for the first time in his 23 starts across two-and-a-half years with top trainer Jason Grimson.
The rising eight-year-old has been beaten both times this campaign, including last night’s second to emerging star Kingman after Swayzee led over his ideal 2300m trip at Menangle.
It was just the second time in seven starts over 2300m or further that Swayzee has been beaten.
Just as he was first-up when sixth in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile, Swayzee looked beaten on the home bend, but battled away bravely.
He looks a long way off the horse who upstaged the mighty Leap To Fame in the Hunter Cup when he last raced at Melton on February 1.
And bookies pushed his Victoria Cup odds out from $4 to $6 after last night.
Adding further intrigue is the fact the connections of TAB Eureka winner Bay Of Biscay are still holding out hope Swayzee’s regular driver Cam Hart will partner their pacer in the Victoria Cup.
Bay Of Biscay will tune-up for the Cup in next Saturday night’s $30,000 Smoken Up Sprint at Melton.
There is also talk Swayzee would tackle the race.
In contrast to Swayzee’s indifferent form, Leap To Fame stretched his winning record at Albion Park to a staggering 23 successive races with an easy first-up win last night.
Having his first run since winning a second Inter Dominion title on July 19, Swayzee’s younger half-brother blazed home his closing splits in 53.7 and 26.3sec to win without being extended by trainer-driver Grant Dixon.
Leap To Fame will go straight into Saturday week’s $250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup as a $1.20 favourite. It’s the one traditional major race the Queensland champion is yet to win.
Kingman’s Victoria Cup odds were slashed from $16 to $6 after his win over Swayzee.
“He’s the new kid on the block. Look out Victoria Cup, we’re coming at you,” owner-breeder Mick Harvey said.
“We’ve got a massive opinion of this horse. He’s only four and getting better with every run.”
Harvey knows what a star horse is, having been a part-owner of the great King Of Swing, who won three Miracle Miles and two Hunter Cups.
Eight-time Group 1 winner Catch A Wave capped his preparation for a third crack at the Victoria Cup with a dazzling Casey Classic win at Melton last night. His best effort was second (beating home Leap To Fame) in the 2023 Victoria Cup.
“He felt good and won well, but so he should have against those horses. It’ll be much harder in two weeks, but he seems back to his best,” driver Kate Gath said.
Another highlight of Victoria Cup night will be the Group 1 Bill Collins Sprint for trotter and a new star emerged from it last night with the stunning win of Jilliby Ballerini.
In one of the most stunning trotting displays at Melton for years, the four-year-old mare left star rivals, including Inter Dominion champion Arcee Phoenix, in her wake as she roared away to win by 20.7m in the Group 3 Australasian Trotting Championship.
Her closing splits of 54.4 and 26.7sec are almost unheard of for a trotter.
It was her ninth win from just 11 starts this season and had many asking whether she was as good as her megastar stablemate, Keayang Zahara, who has won 15 of her 16 starts, and will return to racing next Saturday night.
