Aussie News - June 16

By Adam Hamilton

New Zealand Cup winner Swayzee’s Queensland raid could start as early as this week.

Trainer Jason Grimson confirmed the first group of a big team he will campaign in the Sunshine State will head-up this week.

Saturday night’s $30,000 Lucky Creed over 2680m at Albion Park looks an ideal kick-off race for Swayzee, who has impressively won both starts back from a long spell.

Grimson said his Chariots Of Fire winner Frankie Ferocious would not race at Menangle before heading north.

“No, his first run back will be at Albion Park. He’ll just have the one run leading into the Rising Sun (July 13),” he said.

Frankie Ferocious looked sharp winning his second trial back in a blazing 1min49.5sec mile last week.

Grimson has plenty to think about with his brilliant speedster Hi Manameisjeff despite him winning yet again at Menangle last night.

The seven-year-old, who has won 11 of 13 starts since joining Grimson’s barn, galloped in the score-up again last night and that keeps him out of the barrier draw for mobile races.

It’s a problem if he goes to Albion Park where he would be off the back row, which negates his blazing gate speed and biggest asset.

Hi Manameisjeff didn’t quite look his best last night, having to dig deep to fend-off stablemate Hot And Treacherous by a half-neck.

Grimson snared the trifecta in the Golden Mile with former Kiwi mare Illavabubbles getting third. She and Hot And Treacherous are also Brisbane-bound.

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Champion mare Ladies In Red continued her preparation for Brisbane with another easy Melton win last night.

The six-year-old worked to the front from stablemate Soho Historic and cruised to a 3.2m win in a brisk 1min52.6sec mile rate for 1720m.

It was her 27th win from just 35 starts as she prepares for a rematch with boom former Kiwi mare Aardies Express in the $150,000 Group 1 Golden Girl at Albion Park on July 20.

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Star pacer Catch A Wave is back in work and preparing for plenty of travel in the back half of the year.

Trainer Andy Gath said the five-year-old had freshened-up well through a short break after his stunning Group 1 double – Nullarbor and Fremantle Cup – in Perth during April.

“He seems great. He’s had one fast workout and is probably about six weeks away from a race,” he said.

Catch A Wave’s first major target will take him to Sydney for the $150,000 Group 1 Len Smith Mile on September 7.

Then comes the $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 12.

“He won’t go to the Inter Dominion, we’re keen to take him back to Perth instead if he’s going well and we can get the right sort of flights,” Gath said.

The target would be the $450,000 Group 1 WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park on November 8.

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Forgotten pacing star Honolua Bay is close to a racetrack return.

The 2023 Hunter Cup winner hasn’t raced since a terrific third to Catch A Wave in the Miracle Mile back on March 4, last year.

Trainer Emma Stewart said he was working superbly after being sidelined hoof issues, which have plagued him much of his career.

“He’ll trial Tuesday at Melton and then we’ll look for a lead-up race before we take him up with the rest of our team to Brisbane in the second week of July,” she said.

The seven-year-old has raced just 37 times for 22 wins and almost $900,000 in earnings.

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Former WA Pacing Cup winner Wildwest posted just his second win in more than two years when he led throughout to win the Gloucester Park free-for-all last Friday night.

The former Kiwi eight-year-old won the WA Pacing Cup on February 4, 2022 and his only in between came at Gloucester Park on September 8, last year.

Driver Gary Hall Jr teamed with his father, Gary Sr, as Wildwest used gate one to lead and beat classy stablemate Jumpingjackmac by 1.3m in a 1min56.5sec mile rate for 2130m.

The other star performer of the night was three-year-old filly Water Lou, who overcame a wide draw and having to sit parked to post her 17th win from just 21 starts for trainer Mike Reed.

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Luke McCarthy had another good night at Albion Park last night.

Leading the way was his talented open-class pacer Cantfindabettorman, who easily won the free-for-all in a 1min53.1sec mile rate for 2138m.

The former Kiwi five-year-old is headed for another clash with Leap To Fame in the $100,000 Group 2 Redcliffe Cup on Saturday week.

They may even clash in Friday night’s Patrons Purse at Redcliffe.

McCarthy’s lightly raced and exciting mare Eye Keep Smiling cruised to her 12th win from just 17 starts last night as she prepares to step back against the very best mares in the Golden Girl on July 20.

On the same card, Shannon Price’s exciting four-year-old Sure Thing Captain returned with a brilliant win, signalling himself as a genuine player for the Rising Sun on July 13.