No rematch (yet) for Aussie harness racing stars

Fans will have to wait longer for the harness racing rematch between superstar siblings Swayzee (Rock N Roll Heaven) and Leap To Fame (Bettor’s Delight).

While Swayzee opens his latest Queensland raid at Albion Park on Saturday night, Leap To Fame won’t be among his rivals in the Lucky Creed Pace.

Instead, Leap To Fame will race at Redcliffe 24 hours earlier in the Group 3 Patrons Purse, a race he won last year.

Leap To Fame is a $1.04 favourite to stretch his winning streak to 14 races from a perfect draw (gate two) at Redcliffe.

His only previous trip to the small and quirky triangle track at Redcliffe, outside Brisbane, came when he won last year’s Patrons Purse.

But Leap To Fame will be back at Redcliffe again eight days later for his crucial assignment in the $100,000 Group 2 Redcliffe Gold Cup.

It’s a standing start race and the “line in the sand” race for a planned trip to Christchurch for November’s New Zealand Cup.

Last year’s NZ Cup winner Swayzee has looked terrific winning both runs back from a long spell and looks ideally suited over the 2680m in Saturday night’s Lucky Creed.

The six-year-old has drawn gate five, but should work forward and find the front.

Grimson has ruled out the Redcliffe Cup with Swayzee, meaning he and his younger half-brother Leap To Fame may not clash again until the $400,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake on July 27.

Swayzee famously and controversially upset Leap To Fame in last year’s Blacks A Fake before going on to win the NZ Cup.

Leap To Fame then turned the tables on Swayzee in the Brisbane Inter Dominion final on December 16.

Swayzee is one of four runners Grimson has on the first night of his Brisbane raid.

He’s also got classy speedster Nerano drawn two against Swayzee, while trotter Royal Dan will come from a 20m handicap in the first heat of the Darrell Alexander Trotting Championship (race six).

Grimson also has rejuvenated mare Tay Tay from gate six in what promises to be a ripper clash with Luke McCarthy’s Its Ebonynivory (gate seven) in the open mares’ race (race 11).

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing New Zealand