Grimson pays late nomination for Swayzee in the NZ Cup

Menangle Park harness racing horseman Jason Grimson and connections have paid a late nomination fee for their star pacer Swayzee (Rock N Roll Heaven) to defend his New Zealand Cup title.

Swayzee won the 2023 NZ Cup in brilliant fashion and Grimson is confident he can run another bold race in the $1million feature with last season’s NSW Horse of the Year, hence the late decision.

Put simply, Grimson stated: “He’s flying.”

The 2024 NZ Cup takes place at Addington next Tuesday.

Before this, Swayzee will tackle the $60,000 Cherry City Cup at Young’s Carnival of Cups this Friday night before making the trip across the Tasman.

“He will race in Young on Friday then fly out to NZ on Sunday,” said Grimson.

Swayzee is in contention to win the $1million Carnival of Cups Bonus having won the first leg of the five-race series, The Dish, at Parkes on September 20.

Grimson finished second in last year’s Cherry City Cup with Cya Art narrowly missing by a head to Max Delight.

Cya Art has also been nominated for Friday’s Cherry City Cup in a bid to finish a spot closer. Nominations for the feature meeting have extended to 9:30am Tuesday morning (November 5).

There are still more Carnival of Cups bonuses up for grabs.

With four more rounds of the circuit to go, including Young, a horse that can win the four of the Carnival of Cups will be given a $500,000 bonus and a horse that can win three of these features will earn a $250,000 bonus.

Those Cups are:

• The $60,000 Cherry City Cup at Young on November 8
• The $60,000 Tamworth City Cup at Tamworth on January 17
• The $60,000 Murray Cup at Albury on February 14
• The $60,000 Renshaw Cup at Penrith on March 14

For more information on the Carnival of Cups Bonus and conditions, click here.

For more information about the upcoming Carnival of Cups events head to www.carnivalofcups.com.au.

by Amanda Rando, for Harness Racing New South Wales