Champion champion Swayzee, who ran back-to-back NZ Cups from 2023-24, is attracting intense interest as he looks to break by far the longest drought of his running career with Jason Grimson at the $40,000 Shirley Turnbull Memorial (2790m) at Bathurst on Boxing Night.
And last month’s NZ Cup winner Kingman set the track at Menangle ablaze on Wednesday as he prepared to return for a freshen-up.
Kingman has not raced since adding Group 1 Christian Cullen to his NZ Cup raid at Addington on November 21.
“He’s ready to go, but we’re happy he can push on and be the first to get to the Bendigo Cup (January 10),” said trainer-driver Luke McCarthy.
“He’s going well. It was almost four weeks between his Victoria Cup runs and his NZ Cup win.
“We also take into account that if he goes to Victoria he will have three runs in as many weeks.”
That’s because Kingman is chasing a new $1 million bonus over six Victorian ‘Cups’ in January and February.
The bonus will go to any pacer who can win four of the six races, but that must also include the last and biggest, the $250,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup at Melton on February 14.
McCarthy and owner Mick Harvey will be hoping Kingman can win the first three legs – Bendigo, Shepparton (January 17) and Ballarat (January 24) – and then take a short break before chasing the Hunter Cup bonus.
Swayzee’s plans will become clearer after he clashes with the much-improved Captains Knock in the Shirley Turnbull for the second time in as many starts.
The Brad Hewitt-trained Captains Knock made it six consecutive wins while working up front, winning a 1609m free for all at Menangle last Saturday week.
Swayzee ran first in the race, was driven quietly by his standards, and came to the finish strong late for third place during the inappropriately short one-mile ride.
The stretch to 2790 meters at Bathurst Suits and Swayzee beat last year’s Shirley Turnbull by almost 18 meters in a record-breaking mile speed of 1:54.9 seconds.
But the rising eight-year-old has been beaten in his last five starts and his last victory came in the Renshaw Cup at Menangle on March 15.
It would be great to see him return to his best at Bathurst and add a new dimension to the upcoming Victoria Cups series.
Especially since Leap To Fame stays in Queensland and makes a late attack on Victoria. He is targeting the $150,000 Group 1 Cranbourne Cup on January 31 and the Hunter Cup.
It also looks like reigning Miracle Mile champion Don Hugo will bypass Melbourne entirely.
Now confirmed with the Entain slot in the $1.25 million Nullarbor at Gloucester Park on April 17, Don Hugo will likely remain in NSW and focus on defending his Miracle Mile crown on March 14 before heading to Perth.
“He might go to the Goulburn Cup on January 2, but we could also opt to pick some free-for-alls at Menangle instead,” McCarthy said.
“I am aware that by the time we had the final race in Cambridge last year he was not at his top after so much hard racing, so I will do things differently this time.”
If Don Hugo goes to Goulburn there could be a clash with local Captains Knock, who are expected to back up from Bathurst soon.
“We found that he just thrives when racing and it shows in his form,” Hewitt said.
Through Adam Hamiltonfor Harness Racing New Zealand
#Cup #winners #target #Bathurst #Bendigo #Victorian #Cup