Swayzee winning the 2025 Hunter Cup
OWNER Mick Boots has revealed the battle behind Swayzee’s Hunter Cup title defence and how important tomorrow’s (Tuesday) barrier draw will be to his chances.
Swayzee famously led throughout to beat Leap To Fame for the second time and score the biggest Australian win of his career in last year’s Hunter Cup.
But the champion stayer, who has also won the iconic NZ Cup twice, was struck-down with a bowel infection just weeks later and Boots wondered if he would race again.
“We were very worried there for a while,” he said. “Some horses don’t make it and lots of others don’t come back the same.
“It’s a huge credit to Jason (Grimson, trainer), who gave him the time he needed, brought him back to racing bigger than ever and let him build back to peak fitness.”
The setback came soon after Swayzee returned from a Perth raid where he ran fourth in the $1.25mil Group 1 Nullarbor on April 25.
He didn’t race for almost five months, missed the Brisbane Inter Dominion series and only had four more starts in 2025, being beaten in them all.
Swayzee started this year on a better note, winning his first two starts including an epic victory over reigning Miracle Mile winner Don Hugo in the Goulburn Cup.
“That’s the win that showed us he was really back,” Boots said. “That was the Swayzee of old.”
Boots warned not to read too much into Swayzee’s sixth in last Saturday week’s Cranbourne Cup behind Leap To Fame and Kingman.
“As soon as the draws came out we knew he was in trouble with the other two drawing better,” he said. “Cam (Hart, driver) was thrilled with his run considering he got back to last and how the race was run.
“He really hit the line strongly in the 50m or so and Cam said he felt so strong after the line, he kept going right around to the back straight, which is a great sign when he’s feeling well.
“The race showed how important the barriers are in these big races and the Hunter Cup will be no different.
“We’ve beaten Leap To Fame twice when we’ve drawn better than him.
“We’re going to need that again and now you’ve got Kingman as well.
“These are amazing horses. You’ve got to give it to them. Leap To Fame is a champion, one of the best we’ve seen, and Kingman is the new kid on the block.”
The Hunter Cup draw is live on Sky Racing at 9.30am tomorrow (Tuesday).
Swayzee is one two Group 1 hopefuls Boots, who races more than 300 horses, has on Saturday night.
The other is brilliant young mare Captains Mistress, who is chasing her fourth win from as many starts since joining Grimson’s stable in the $150,000 Queen of the Pacific, Victoria’s biggest mares’ race.
“I love her. She’s so exciting and starting to challenge Swayzee as my favourite horse,” Boots said.
PHOTO: Stuart McCormick
