MENANGLE trainer Jason Grimson has become the new “King” of Australian pacing’s Grand Circuit.
In less than 20 months, Grimson has won the past two Inter Dominion finals and now the past two Group 1 Blacks A Fakes – all with different, recycled pacers.
Swayzee became his latest and potentially greatest transformation when he upstaged local pin-up pacer Leap To Fame to win last Saturday night’s $400,000 Ladbrokes Blacks A Fake (2680m) at Albion Park.
In a year of shared spoils, the victory put Swayzee, who is the older half-brother to Leap To Fame, into equal fourth spot on the Australia Grand Circuit points table.
With two of the seven legs remaining, Diego, Honolua Bay and Mighty Ronaldo share the lead on 140 points from Catch A Wave and Swayzee on 100 points.
The two remaining legs are the $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 14 and the $500,000 Inter Dominion Pacing Final at Albion Park on December 16.
While Swayzee is being set for the Group 1 NZ Cup on November 14, Grimson said he would consider both the Victoria Cup and Inter Dominion.
Swayzee, now unbeaten in six starts since joining Grimson’s stable, was driven in dashing and daring style in front by NSW young gun Cam Hart, who also won last year’s Blacks A Fake aboard the Grimson-trained Majestic Cruiser.
Hart was lavish in his praise after the win.
“He’s potentially as good as any of the nice ones I’ve driven,” he said. “He’s just a beast in front or up on the speed. I don’t think anything will beat him in front and even if he’s got to sit parked, he’ll be very hard to beat.
“He’s just so strong and loves rolling along in quick time, which was always our plan tonight.
“He’s a great stayer and Jason and I knew we had to turn the race into a real staying test.
“My horse still felt really strong on the line, but Leap To Fame’s effort was enormous to do the work he did and still get so close. It was a great race to be part of.”
Grimson stopped short of declaring Swayzee better than his previous Group 1-winning stars like Majestic Cruiser, I Cast No Shadow, Betterzippit and others.
“Time will tell, but he’s been a great pick-up,” he said. “He’s not so much fast as he is strong. He can just sustain that speed for so far".
“We’ll get through this win and look at what we target for the rest of the year, but the NZ Cup is a definite because he’s such a great stayer.”
Four-year-old Leap To Fame lost no admirers at his first Grand Circuit start, finishing just 6.2m behind his older half-brother after sitting parked throughout.
The Grand Dixon-trained star also sustained a flat tyre at the 300m when the tube wrapped around the left side sulky wheel and basically seized it.
“It was disappointing and Grant was adamant he’d have won or gone close without that happening,” owner Kevin Seymour said.
“But that’s just racing and now we look ahead to the TAB Eureka.”
Leap To Fame’s next crack at Grand Circuit racing will be in the Inter Dominion series at Albion Park in December.
