Swayzee and Leap To Fame – the Kiwi connection 

The hype is beginning to build around this year’s IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and the strong possibly of two of Australasian’s best pacers Swayzee and Leap To Fame, going head to head in New Zealand’s greatest race.

Both pacers have a strong New Zealand connection having Lady Delwin (Lordship) as their third dam.

Lady Delwin was out of Del’s Dream who won fourteen races and as a two year old ran second to champion colt Noodlum in the 1974 New Zealand Two Year Old Championship.

After her racing career ended Lady Delwin was sold to Curtin Farms.

“She was owned by Curtin Farms and when we went broke we sold a bunch of good mares to Kevin Seymour including Lady Delwin and Mistron who was a half-sister by El Patron to Armalight,” said John Curtin.

At stud, Mistron left Masterson (53), Strong Dan (33), Might And Glory (22) and Midnight Lace, which in turn left Majestic Mach the winner of 35 races and $796,397. So there was plenty of success there.

But it was (Our) Lady Delwin that proved to be a top foundation mare for Seymour.

At stud she’s left sixteen foals, the best of which were Delectable Dolly (29), Deputy Dan (26) and Derringer (22).

Her 1997 Fake Left foal – Left For Me that was the one to continue the family legacy. As a racehorse she won ten of her seventy nine starts but at stud she proved to be sensational.

Her first foal was millionaire pacer For A Reason whose twenty seven wins included four Group Ones – the NSW Derby, Queensland Derby, Victoria Cup and Queensland Pacing Championship.

For A Reason is proving to be a successful sire and from 262 starters he’s left 193 winners who’ve earned close to $10 million.

Left For Me’s two other $100,000 plus winners were Lettucereason and Left Tennant both by Art Major.

Lettucereason won seventeen of her fifty one starts before she too was retired to the breeding barn.

Her first foal Maximus Red, a son of American Ideal, won forty races and $488,747 but it was her next two foals Swayzee (Rock N Roll Heaven) and Leap To Fame (Bettor’s Delight) that took her to the next level.

Their feats on the racetrack are well documented and their rivalry will continue in this year’s New Zealand Cup.

Since these two champions, Lettucereason hasn’t had a lot of luck at stud, leaving just three other foals. Reason To Fame (Sweet Lou) was retired without racing, Senses (American Ideal) a full sister to Maximus Red has won both her starts for David Thorn and Claim To Fame (Bettor’s  Delight) an unnamed full-sister to Leap To Fame, was recently bought by New Zealander Jim Haines.

Claim To Fame is not the only female member of this family to come to New Zealand.

Southern breeders John and Katrina Price recently bought a two win Bettor’s Delight mare out of Left For Me at the APG Mixed National Sales in Australia.

Although Swayzee has a strong New Zealand pedigree it doesn’t end there. He also has two New Zealand owners Lester Drake and Neville Jackson, both from the Hawkes Bay.

Drake and Jackson were asked if they wanted a share in Swayzee after he was bought by the horse’s original trainer Tim Butt. So the kiwi pair have been in the gelding since day one.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink