75 nominations received for NZ Cup and Dominion Trot

The big guns are coming.

Nominations for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot closed at 3pm (NZT) today. 

There are a total of 34 harness racing nominations for the New Zealand Cup and 41 for the Dominion – both Group 1s will be held at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11.

Headlining the nominations for the Cup are the two gun Australians, Leap To Fame and two-time champion Swayzee while another feature of the final nominations are the four Lee-trained runners from Victoria including trotting superstar Keayang Zahara.

The Grant Dixon-trained and driven Leap To Fame is Australasian harness racing’s undoubted star with 56 career victories and over $4.6m in stakes earnings.

The New Zealand Cup is about the only big race he hasn’t won. His one and only previous appearance in this country was a record-breaking victory in the $1m The Race by betcha at Cambridge in April. He is a commanding $1.60 favourite.

His half brother Swayzee ($4.60) meanwhile is vying for a slice of Cup history. If successful he will be just the fourth horse ever to win three New Zealand Cups in a row, emulating Indianapolis, False Step and Terror To Love.

Both are guaranteed a start in the Cup – Swayzee as defending champion and Leap To Fame after his Inter Dominion triumph this year.

Two ex-Kiwis, (Gee) Heza Sport and Minstrel who are trained by Greg and Skye Bond in Western Australia, have also been nominated.

The top Kiwis in the mix include Merlin, Republican Party and Mo’unga as well as Don’t Stop Dreaming and Akuta, who have finished second to Swayzee in the past two years. Mo’unga sealed a start in the Cup by winning last week’s Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington.

Joining the impressive Keayang Zahara in the Dominion will be stablemates Keayang Chucky (20 wins from 53 starts) and Jilliby Ballerini, who’s won seven from 19.

2025 TAB Trot winner at Cambridge, Arcee Phoenix is also nominated. He is a $3.60 second favourite behind big Kiwi hope Bet N Win ($3.50). Both are guaranteed a start in the Dominion if nominated – Arcee Phoenix for his Inter Dominion win and Bet N Win after taking out the Rowe Cup.

He leads a strong Kiwi contingent that includes Oscar Bonavena, Muscle Mountain and last year’s Dominion runner-up Mighty Logan.

The nominations for both the Cup and the Dominion opened on August 11.

The initial rankings for both will be made available on Thursday, September 4 and updated weekly.

From Harness Racing New Zealand