Aussie superstars tune-up for NZ raids

YOU can tell the iconic New Zealand Cup Week is just around the corner.

Three of Australia’s biggest stars will step out across two harness racing meetings on Saturday night with their sights set firmly on NZ.

While Leap To Fame (Bettor’s Delight) and Gus (Majestic Son) are right on target and their runs are pretty much just formalities at Albion Park on Saturday night, there will be a lot more interest in grand old stayer Swayzee (Rock N Roll Heaven) at Menangle.

Has the marvel got one last crack at the NZ Cup in him.

Trainer Jason Grimson thinks and hopes so, which is why he bypassed last Saturday night’s Victoria Cup with the dual NZ Cup winning hero.

“I thought it was a bit greedy taking on the mare with him last weekend,” he said.

“Rather than running second to her, I think he needs a ‘kill’ before his main aim, which is the NZ Cup again.”

Swayzee, a rising nine-year-old, gets that chance from a lovely draw (gate four) in Saturday night’s Club Menangle Kevin Robinson free-for-all.

Other than the race being a more suitable 2300m than this week’s mile, it looks the easiest race Swayzee has been in for a long time.

It will be just his second run back from a spell and follows a sound fourth in the Geelong Cup on October 3.

Grimson drove Swayzee himself that night, worked him to the lead and just kept running.

The old boy looked spent on the home bend but just kept digging deep and was only beaten 1.3m in fourth spot.

Cam Hart, who has driven Swayzee to win two NZ Cups, two Hunter Cup and a Victoria Cup, is back aboard on Saturday night.

It has all the makings of a D-Day.

Up at Albion Park, Leap To Fame and Gus will continue their wildly different build ups to NZ.

Leap To Fame will be on the quick back-up after a sparkling Albion Park win in the rain last Saturday night.

When he starts from gate seven in a 1660m sprint, it will be his fourth run in this preparation.

It’s true to form for trainer-driver Grant Dixon, who said early this campaign he wanted a big foundation of racing into his champion before he returned for his second crack at the Go Media NZ Cup.

Of course, he ran a brave second to Kingman last year when, arguably, he wasn’t quite at his very best.

Everything says Leap To Fame is going at least as well as ever despite being a rising eight-year-old and a veteran of 95 starts.

Despite the draw, it should be another walk in the park for Australasia’s richest pacer of all time.

He is $1.70 favourite to atone for last year and add the NZ Cup to arguably the sport’s greatest CV of all time.

In contrast, Gus hasn’t raced since winning the Brisbane Inter Dominion trotting final on July 18.

Instead, co-trainers Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen have opted for a string of trials.

They contemplated taking Gus first-up into the Renwick Farms Dominion on November 10 but relented and will give him a standing start race on Saturday night.

Gus will come off a 50m handicap.

He won off a 40m handicap at Albion Park back on February 7, this year.

Gus shot to stardom when he blitzed his rivals to win last year’s Dominion.

He then backed up three days later and completed the Cup Week Group 1 double by landing the NZ Trotting free-for-all.

Turpin and McMullen have raced him sparkling in the 12 months since, with nine starts netting six wins and a third.

by Adam Hamilton for Harness Racing Australia