Swayzee turns back the clock with Goulburn Cup win

By Adam Hamilton 

The two big dogs of Australasian pacing have opened 2026 with significant wins.

Leap To Fame and Swayzee have been the benchmark for much of the past three years, but the challengers are looming.

Swayzee, who turned eight this week, had been under the most scrutiny having been winless in six starts since the Renshaw Cup at Penrith back on March 15, last year.

But the champion stayer, who famously won the 2023 and ’24 NZ Cups, wound back the clock with a stunning display of strength to run down reigning Miracle Mile champion Don Hugo in last Friday’s Goulburn Cup.

“Without doubt, in my 42 years of calling, that was probably the greatest race I have ever called. They went to war from the 900m,” Fred Hastings, the voice of NSW harness racing said. 

“It’s a race I’ll remember ‘til I die.”

It was a true Bonecrusher/Our Waverley Star-like stoush.

The pair started from wide back row barriers but Don Hugo was first to make an early move around the field and Swayzee followed him before sitting outside Don Hugo for the bulk of the race.

Swayzee’s trainer Jason Grimson, driving him for just the second time in a race, really poured the pressure on Don Hugo down the back straight the last time as the pair put a huge gap on their rivals.

“C’mon Goulburn get on your feet and pay tribute to these two superstars – they’re down the back the straight and going for stride for stride, there’s not a struck match between them and they’re 40m in front of the rest … they may well obliterate the track record here,” Hastings said in his call.

Despite having the harder run outside the leader, Swayzee just kept coming at Don Hugo and wore him down in the last 50m to win by 4.1m with another 36m away to third placegetter Donegal Luther.

As Hastings predicted, Swayzee did smash the track record. His 1min53.6sec mile rate took 0.4sec off the previous mark set by Bling It On in the 2020 Goulburn Cup.

Owner Mick Boots said Swayzee’s next target would be the $50,000 Group 3 Shepparton Gold Cup on January 17.

It is increasingly likely Shepparton could be Leap To Fame’s next start, too.

And even Kingman has been touted as a probable runner if he comes through next Saturday night’s $75,000 Group 2 Bendigo Cup well.

Wouldn’t that be a race … Swayzee, Leap To Fame and Kingman coming together well before most expected.

Trainer-driver Grant Dixon said Leap To Fame’s win at Albion Park last night paved the way for a Shepparton Cup assault.

“That’s our thinking, but we’ll make a final decision in the next few days,” he said.

Looking further ahead, if you bundle Leap To Fame, Kingman and Swayzee and add Republican Party and maybe The Janitor, the $250,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup on February 14 could have a vintage feel of the great race to it.