Swayzee back with a vengeance in Goulburn Cup

Iron pacer Swayzee (Rock n Roll Heaven) made a welcome return to the harness racing winning circle when he outstayed Don Hugo to take out the $40,000 Goulburn Soldiers Club Frank and Edna Day Goulburn Pacing Cup on Friday evening.

The race was robbed of interest with the scratching of Captains Knock with a vet certificate and so punters declared it to be a two horse race with Don Hugo and Swayzee both drawn wide on the second row.

However in the betting, Don Hugo was all the rage with Swayzee an easing second favourite.

Swayzee was driven by his trainer Jason Grimson.

SWAYZEE 2 JAN REPLAY

After the mobile was dispatched, Bainbridge showed dazzling pace to find the front. Don Hugo was out three wide with some momentary cover while Swayzee hooked on the back of Don Hugo. It took Don Hugo some time to work around the field before heading off Bainbridge with a lap left to travel. That may well have taken the sting out of him as Swayzee drew alongside.

The two stars quickly put paid to their rivals going into the back straight. The second and third quarters were run in 28 and 27.7 seconds as they opened up a lead of over 30 metres to the rest of the field.

Grimson seemed to be the first to go for his horse as Luke McCarthy nursed Don Hugo around the field as they were locked together.

But as so often the case with Swayzee the eight year old knuckled down to the task and he drew clear of Don Hugo by four metres with Donegal Luther some 35 metres away in third position.

In winning Swayzee broke the track record of 1.54 for the 2240 metres set by Bling It On in January 2020 running 1.53.6.

It’s been nearly ten months since Swayzee had recorded his last win in the Renshaw Cup at Penrith.

A number of setbacks prevented him from attempting a third New Zealand Trotting Cup and while still racing in the very best company he didn’t have the best of luck. But he showed with his tenacious and dogged win the customary Swayzee that we have been used to seeing.

And whatever Grimson decides to do whether to concentrate in the New South Wales  Country Cups or the Victorian Country Cups to start later this month Swayzee showed that he still has it to match it with the very best and add to his wonderful record to date.

As for Don Hugo he had to do a bit more work to get to the front and it was notable that McCarthy didn’t exert Don Hugo too much once Swayzee moved past him. His main goal is the Group 1 $1 million Miracle Mile at Menangle on 14 March which he won last year and he is sure to be ready for that event.

Outside the top two there was not much to say about the other runners.

Grimson completed a double as earlier his lightly raced pacer Ima Boxer (Shoobees Palace) looked very impressive in an all the way win when driven by Jye Coney.

Driving honours for the meeting were shared by Jye Coney and local Brad Hewitt with three winners each. Earlier at the meeting  Coney was successful on the trotter Ewing (Father Patrick) then with Ima Boxer and finally with the nine year old gelding Outside Fighter (Art Major) in the TAB Regional Championship qualifier.

Hewitt made up for the disappointment of having to withdraw Captains Knock in the Goulburn Cup as well injury affecting his outstanding trotter The Locomotive . He won the maiden race with Wicked Berries (McWicked) trained by his brother Scott. He then scored with the promising four year old mare Refusal (Captain Crunch) and trained by his other brother Sam.

Finally he won on his own mare that he trains Precise (Captain Crunch) who looked very impressive leading for most of the way in the Seib Racing Pace.

Secretary Mark Croatto was very pleased with the day’s racing.

We had an excellent crowd and lots of children. From a meeting perspective it was first class and the Cup was a classic head to head confrontation.

For complete race results, click here.

by Tony Milanese, for Harnesslink