King Of Swing is on song

King of Swing, a recent arrival from New Zealand and a harness racing colt bred in the purple, looks set to retain his unbeaten record in Australia by proving too smart for his seven rivals in the $20,000 Owners Only WA Derby prelude over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Thursday night.

King of Swing arrived in Western Australia two and a half weeks ago and has recovered from a virus. He gave a sample of his class in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Sunday morning when he set the pace and coasted to victory, by more than five lengths, over talented filly Our Angel of Harlem, rating 1.55.6.

After a comfortable first 400m section of the final mile in 31sec. King of Swing dashed over the next quarters in 28.9sec., 27.4sec. and 29.1sec.

He looks spot on to produce a strong first-up effort on Thursday night when he will start from barrier three in a classy field of eight. This will be his final start before contesting the $200,000 WA Derby on Friday week.

King of Swing, prepared by champion trainer Gary Hall Snr and to be driven by star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr, has not raced since he contested a $225,000 listed classic on the clockwise Alexandra Park circuit in Auckland on December 31.

He started from the inside barrier on the front line in a field of 11 and was beaten for early speed. He raced four back on the pegs before David Butcher started a three-wide move at the bell. The colt raced three wide without cover in the final lap and moved into third place approaching the home turn before wilting to ninth behind the brilliant Chase Auckland.

Two starts before that, King of Swing finished an excellent second to Chase Auckland in a field of 13 in the Group 1 Sires Stakes over 1950m at Addington in Christchurch when the winner rated 1.52.2, with a final 800m in 55.1sec.

King of Swing has had two starts in Australia, winning a 2150m semi-final of the Breeders Crown for two-year-old colts and geldings at Bendigo and the 2240m final at Melton last August. He raced three wide for much of the way in the semi-final and he led all the way at Melton.

He rated 1.55.1 after a final 800m in 55.2sec. when he beat Colt Thirty One by a short half-head in the semi-final and he rated 1.55.2 when he defeated Poster Boy and Colt Thirty One in the final.

King of Swing, by American stallion Rocknroll Hanover, is the first foal out of Artsplace mare Twist And Twirl, who amassed $283,258 from seven wins and eight placings from 22 starts. She won two Group 1 features for three-year-old fillies in New Zealand, including the Northern Oaks. She also had five starts in Victoria in the winter of 2012 for two wins and two seconds.

An up-beat Hall Jnr said that King of Swing’s trial at Pinjarra was “super” and that he expected the colt to prove very hard to beat, first-up. 

The Hall stable will also be represented in Thursday night’s prelude by Benhope Rulz and Speed Man. Clint Hall will drive Benhope Rulz from the prized No. 1 barrier and the gelding looks set to lead, with King of Swing in the breeze. Speed Man (Stuart McDonald) will start from the outside barrier (No. 9) and is likely to have a soft run before finishing strongly.

Ocean Ridge, a newcomer from New Zealand and prepared by Greg Bond, is a promising gelding who made an impressive West Australian debut when he set the pace and won easily at a 1.56.2 rate over 2150m at Pinjarra last Monday week. A winner at Addington at three of his final four starts in New Zealand, Ocean Ridge will start from barrier five.

Cott Beach, the only filly in the field, will be driven by Nathan Turvey from barrier four. A winner at 11 of her 23 starts, she was restrained from barrier nine in the Western Gateway Pace last Friday night before flying home from 12th (and last) at the bell to be a neck second to Bechers Brook.

Ken Casellas