THE potential first clash of Australasia’s three biggest pacing stars has scared away other rivals.
With the hope Leap To Fame, Swayzee and Kingman would clash in Saturday night’s $50,000 Group 3 Shepparton Gold Cup, there were just four horses entered when nominations closed. An extension to nominations saw another two pacers added.
But it now seems likely reigning Hunter Cup hero Swayzee, who returned to his best winning an epic Goulburn Cup last Friday week, will not run at Shepparton.
Trainer Jason Grimson has also nominated him for Menangle on Saturday night and is leaning towards running there and delaying a Victoria raid until the $100,000 Group 2 Ballarat Cup on January 24.
Harness Racing Victoria COO Glenn Lee said the Cup would be run regardless of numbers.
“We’re committed to this race and all legs of the Summer of Glory which are part of the two bonus series’,” he said.
The Shepparton Gold Cup is the second leg of six pacing legs where a $1 million bonus is on offer for any horse who can win at least four legs, but they must include the $250,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup at Melton on February 14.
Remarkable 11-year-old Bulletproof Boy won the first leg, last Saturday night’s Group 2 Bendigo Cup held at Melton. He has not been nominated for Shepparton and instead will skip this week and go to the $100,000 Group 2 Ballarat Cup on January 24, which he won last year.
It’s a similar situation in the second leg of the trotting series with just three nominations so far for Saturday night’s $30,000 Shepparton Trotters’ Cup.
Superstar mare Keayang Zahara, who cruised to victory in the first leg, the $100,000 Group 1 Maori Mile at Melton last Saturday, will not race this week.
Nor will her star stablemate Jilliby Ballerini, who won last Saturday night’s Bendigo Trotters’ Cup.
Inter Dominion champion Arcee Phoenix and the classy Im Bobby, who ran second and third respectively to Keayang Zahara last Saturday, are the two key nominations for Shepparton.
“Nominations have been extended until tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, so we hope to get a few more late noms in both races,” Lee said.
Leap To Fame will start a two-part road trip from Queensland to Victoria tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.
“We’ll go from our place to Menangle and spend 24 hours or so at Robbie and Kerryn Ann (Morris’) stable,” trainer-driver Grant Dixon said. “Then we’ll go from there to stable with Nathan Jack ahead of Saturday night’s race.
“He won so well last start and has been great at home, so we changed our minds and decided to take him down earlier.”
Going to Shepparton opens the door for Leap To Fame to chase the $1 million bonus.
“That’s the thinking, but it is one race at time,” Dixon said. “If he won at Shepparton, we’d back-up at Ballarat the week after. The same with Ballarat, if he won there, we’d run a third week in a row in the Cranbourne Cup (January 31).”
Even if Swayzee is missing this week, the third clash between Leap To Fame and Kingman will be fascinating.
Kingman has won both so far in the Victoria Cup on October 18 and the NZ Cup on November 11.
But he ran below his best when a plugging third to Bulletproof Boy when first-up in the Bendigo Cup last Saturday night.
