Swayzee banks $500,000 in record time

[Wandering Eyes]

By Adam Hamilton 

Dual NZ Cup winner Swayzee banked a $500,000 bonus for connections when he demolished his rivals in last night’s Group 3 Renshaw Cup at Penrith.

On the quick back-up after a luckless fourth in the Miracle Mile, Swayzee made it four wins and a close second in the five-race NSW Carnival of Cups when Hart let him show off for the packed crowd and win racing away by 20.6m at Penrith.

His blistering 1min54.3sec mile rate for the gruelling 2525m trip took almost a second off Tiger Tara’s track record set in the same race in 2017.

“He’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime horse. The resume he’s got and the ride he’s taken Jase (Grimson, trainer) and the owners has been amazing for our careers,” Hart said.

“It was an incredible atmosphere and to have such a great horse here (Penrith), I wanted to open him up and put on a show for the big crowd.

“Jase said he was in unreal order since the Miracle Mile and ready to run a great race.

“I have to pinch myself every time I drive him, he’s such an amazing animal, nothing like I’ve driven before.

“It’s such a great ride when you’re sitting behind him. He’s such a powerhouse and it’s such a privilege to drive him.”

Swayzee joined Grimson’s stable in mid-2023 and has raced 29 times for him for 22 wins, four seconds, a third and two fourths. Including last night’s bonus, he has won $2,645,793.

The seven-year-old’s major wins have been the past two NZ Cups, last year’s Victoria Cup, this year’s Hunter Cup and the 2023 Blacks A Fake.

Owner Mick Boots said Swayzee would have a short let-up before chasing another first in his career, a trip to Perth for the $1.25mil Group 1 Nullarbor at Gloucester Park on April 25.

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Top Aussie trainer Andy Gath’s on-again, off-again trip to New Zealand is back on.

While his stable star and eight-time Group 1-winning pacer Catch A Wave isn’t going to the $1mil Race by betcha, Gath will have a runner on the night.

Classy mare Im Ready Jet’s winning return at Melton last night (Saturday) was enough to book her a run in the $600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge on April 4.

“Pat (Driscoll, owner) has a slot and has always been keen for the mare to go, but we just needed to get her back racing and see how she was going,” Gath said.

“The signs had been encouraging at home, especially in the past couple of weeks, and it was great to see her come back with a win.

“We were helped by Queen Elida running below her best, but our mare still did a good job to win.

“She’s got the (Group 1) La Coocaracha for mares’ only next Saturday and then there’s a flight to Auckland on March 27.

“She’ll just have that one run in NZ because there’s a $100,000 Group 1 race for mares’ (Macarthur Mile) at Menangle in May.

“This will be her last campaign before going to stud, so we’ll keep her going as long as her form is good.”

Im Ready Jet has raced 77 times for 27 starts, 27 placings and banked $727,775.

Queen Elida, who worked around the field early to take the lead, was struggling on the last bend and tired to finish fourth, beaten six metres.

She will get the chance to bounce back in next week’s La Coocaracha as she also prepares for the TAB Trot.

 

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