Swingband confirmed for $1.25 million Nullarbor

Jeavons Racing are excited ahead of Australia’s Richest Group 1 Race, The TABTouch Nullarbor, with the team confirming that Swingband (Alta Christiano) will represent their slot on the big stage on Friday April 19 at Gloucester Park.

Slot representative Kevin Jeavons confirmed that they have been sitting on the decision for a few weeks now, but with Bells Pacing Stable announcing the retirement WA sensation Shockwave in recent weeks, the decision became a whole lot clearer.

“We’ve been holding off since he came back from a break, but he had a couple of terrible drawers and went well and we went really good the other night and he’s on the up, so we think he’s right up to them.” Jeavons confirmed.

“We had them both in mind and was trying to work out how we could get them both in with just one slot but as you know that doesn’t work,

“Having said that, until Shockwave started to go off, he (Swingband) was working just as well,

“We have a lot of confidence in this horse.”

The five-year-old son of Alta Christiano was bred by Karnup Racing and purchased by Jeavons and connections at the 2020 APG Yearling sales for $70,000 and has since gone on to take his earnings to in excess of $231,000 not including the impressive Westbred bonuses on offer in WA.

The lightly raced gelding has had just the 28 starts for 13 career wins, including features such as the APG C&G Sales Classic, 3YO C&G APG Gold Bullion and the 3YO Pearl Classic in 2022.

Swingband raced just four times last season (2023), with a hairline fracture seeing the impressive then four-year-old sidelined for six months.

“More racing will be good for him at that level,

“He did show it in the Lord Mayors Cup night, he ran sixth but he came from last and got interfered with, and I think with the records shown he made up 15m coming from last, that cemented it for us.”

“It’s always great if you can have a horse in it, last year I ended up having one of Gary Halls that ran third but even that was great, being in it,

“I had thought about eastern state horses and we have spoken to a few but to be honest I think this is the right horse for us.”

With all going well, Jeavons is hopeful that his gelding will do enough leading into the TABTouch Nullarbor to secure a spot in the Gr1 $300,000 Retravision Fremantle Cup the following Friday on April 26.

by Ashleigh Paikos, for RWWA