Hit-and-run raid on the table for top pacer

Luke McCarthy won’t be part of the upcoming Victoria Cup Carnival, but his best horse will be.

Champion pacer King Of Swing is back in serious work and being aimed at the $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup on October 9.

In a sign of the times, it will be a hit-and-run raid and he won’t be accompanied by any stablemates from Team McCarthy’s stellar barn.

In fact, confirmation King Of Swing (Rocknroll Hanover) would head to Victoria only came after extensive talks between McCarthy and the owners over the weekend.

It’s well-known the owners don’t like their superstar going anywhere without McCarthy and the Covid-19 border restrictions between Victoria and NSW will make that almost impossible.

“We’d always planned to go, but when it became obvious Luke wouldn’t be able to go with the horse or drive him, we had to rethink it all,” part-owner Glen Moore said.

“I spoke with Luke over the weekend and the other owners and we’re going to give it a go.

“Luke says the horse can do his last fast workout at their place, float down to Shepparton on the Friday, race the Saturday night and be back at their stables by Sunday night.”

So, who drives King Of Swing with McCarthy stranded at home?

“That’s something we’ll discuss closer to the race. There are so many great options and I’m sure plenty of drivers would love to be aboard him,” Moore said.

King Of Swing hasn’t raced since everything went wrong early when he ran third in the Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park on July 24.

“He didn’t have that long out. Luke’s really happy with him,” Moore said. “He’ll just have the one lead-up race on October 2 (the week before the Victoria Cup) at Menangle.

“Luke thinks a trial on September 22 and the October 2 race will be enough to have him primed.”

King Of Swing’s three runs at Melton have netted a Hunter Cup win in 2020, a second in last year’s Victoria Cup and a third in the Hunter Cup back on February 6.

by Adam Hamilton