Swayzee (foaled 23 September 2017) is an Australian Standardbred racehorse, notable for winning the: 2023 and 2024 New Zealand Trotting Cup 2023 Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship 2024 Victoria Cup 2025 and 2026 A G Hunter Cup.
Breeding
Swayzee was bred by Paul Kahlefeldt at Redbank Lodge Standardbreds in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. Initially trained by Tim Butt for limited success, he moved to the stable of Jason Grimson at Menangle, Sydney, New South Wales in 2023. He is owned by Boots Properties Racing Pty Ltd, L F Drake, N H Jackson and Jason Grimson.
He is a half brother to another champion standardbred racehorse Leap To Fame. They were sired by different USA stallions: Leap To Fame by Bettor's Delight, but both were out of the dam Lettucereason (Art Major, USA). Leap To Fame was also bred by Redbank Lodge Standardbreds. Lettucereason, who won 17 races, is a sister to the 2013 Victoria Cup winner For A Reason
Racing career
In a sign of things to come, Swayzee's first race was the Buy a Woodlands Stud Weanling Pace for 2-year old pacers over a mile at Tabcorp Park, Menangle, on 21 April 2020 which he won easily by 14 lengths.
He could only manage 7th in his first Group 1 race, the VHRC Caduceus Breeders Crown Series at Melton on 21 November 2020 which was won by Major Moth from Act Now. He was also unsuccessful in two other Group races for three-year old horses the following year. However, in mid 2023 after shifting to the stable of Jason Grimson, he embarked on a run of 10 wins including the Group 1 Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship and New Zealand Trotting Cup. The following year he was to lose that Queensland Championship to his main rival and younger half-brother, Leap To Fame.
Swayzee has only had two race-day starts in New Zealand and notably they are both wins in New Zealand's greatest race.
Notable performances
PlacingDateRaceTrackDriver1st2nd3rd1st 28 May 2023 L - Goulburn Cup Goulburn Cameron Hart SwayzeeAlta OrlandoArdens Ace1st 8 July 2023 G3 - Mr Feelgood Open Pace Albion Park Cameron HartSwayzee Petes Said SoManila Playboy 1st22 July 2023 G1 - The Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship Albion Park Cameron Hart Swayzee Leap To FameHot And Treacherous1st 14 November 2023 G1 - New Zealand Trotting Cup Addington Cameron Hart Swayzee Akuta Beach Ball1st 1 December 2023 Inter Dominion Heat Albion Park Cameron Hart Swayzee Manila Playboy Turn It Up 3rd5 December 2023 Inter Dominion Heat Albion Park Cameron Hart Speak The TruthPetes Said So Swayzee4th 9 December 2023 Inter Dominion Heat Albion Park Cameron Hart Better Eclipse Classie Washington Kanena Provlima3rd 16 December 2023 G1 - Inter Dominion Final Albion ParkCameron Hart Leap To Fame Better EclipseSwayzee2nd 13 July 2024 G2 - Mr Feelgood OpenAlbion Park Cameron HartLeap To Fame Swayzee Simply Sam 2nd27 July 2024 G1 - The Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship Albion Park Cameron Hart Leap To Fame Swayzee Hector 1st12 October 2024 G1 - Victoria Cup MeltonCameron Hart Swayzee Curly JamesMach Dan1st 12 November 2024 G1 - New Zealand Trotting Cup Addington Cameron HartSwayzee Don't Stop Dreaming Republican Party1st 26 December 2024 G3 - Shirley Turnbull MemorialBathurst Cameron Hart Swayzee Smooth Buzz Kanena Provlima 1st 1 February 2025 G1 - A G Hunter Cup Melton Cameron HartSwayzee Leap To Fame Republican Party1st1 March 2025G2 - Cordina Group Sprint Menangle Cameron Hart Swayzee Tact McLeodCaptain Ravishing4th8 March 2025G1 - Miracle Mile Pace MenangleCameron HartDon HugoLeap To FameTact McLeod1st15 March 2025G3 - Renshaw Cup PenrithCameron Hart Swayzee Cya ArtChevron Art1st2 January 2026Goulburn CupGoulburnJason GrimsonSwayzeeDon HugoDonegal Luther1st14 February 2026G1 - A G Hunter Cup MeltonCameron HartSwayzeeLeap To FameRepublican Party4th14 March 2026G1 - Miracle Mile PaceMenangle Cameron HartLeap To Fame The JanitorDon Hugo3rd10 April 2026L - The Race by Sport Nation mobile paceCambridge Cameron HartLeap To FameAkuta Swayzee3rd 24 April 2026G1 - Noel J Taylor Memorial MileAlexandra ParkCameron HartThe Lazarus EffectGot The Chocolates Swayzee3rd 8 May 2026G1 - New Zealand Messenger Championshiphttps://www.hrnz.co.nz/news/got-the-chocolates-sensational-in-nz-messenger-win/Alexandra ParkCameron HartGot The ChocolatesThe Lazarus Effect Swayzee
See also Harness racing in Australia Harness racing in New Zealand
References