Vale Denice Swain

Denice Swain is being remembered as a harness racing pioneer who had a “heart of gold” and whose horses were “always immaculate.”

The oldest of seven children, and from a well-known Southland harness racing family, Swain trained 124 winners from 1986 to 2010. She died in Southland Hospital this week.

Among her many achievements was her history-making moment in 1991 when she became the first female trainer to have a horse in the New Zealand Cup. Clancy, driven by the late Mike DeFilippi, finished second to Christopher Vance.

At the time she said, “the horse’s second (in the Cup) gave me a real boost in confidence that my training method worked.”

There were tough times in a then male-dominated industry but Swain found a way.

“I was pretty quiet and wouldn’t say too much. I had to harden up or wouldn’t have made it. I learned to stick up for myself.”

Four years after Clancy, Swain lined up her second New Zealand Cup runner in Just Royce. Again second would be her lot.

Ashburton trainer-driver John Hay was in the cart that day.

“He could have won it, he was late getting out and there was only a neck or a head in it. Il Vicolo beat him that year I drove him.”

Over the years Hay and Swain formed a formidable combination. He drove 54 of her winners.

“She was a terrific trainer, probably a great trainer, she didn’t get recognised enough,” says Hay.

“She’ll tell me they hadn’t gone to a trial and they might be a run short and they’d win by two or three lengths.”

“They always looked immaculate, unbelievable how good they looked.”

Others paying tribute this week have been her nephew Aaron Swain, who now races in her gold and white colours.

He posted this week : “I am extremely grateful to wear her gold and white racing silks. I can only hope I can accomplish half of what she has in the racing game.

“Racing aside, she had a heart of gold and a very loving person. Always had time or made time to talk to you. Always sharing her opinion was one thing she was great at.”

Hay remembers Swain as a “real professional” and a “great horsewoman” though their relationship had its moments.

“We had a lot of ups and downs,” says Hay, “if you didn’t do things right you soon heard from her. A spade is a spade.”

Swain’s first training success was Sweet Song at Forbury Park in April 1986. The win was a family affair with Denice’s brother Robin driving.

In the 1990s she moved to Ashburton.

While Clancy (12 wins and $213,688) and Just Royce (9 wins and $147,595) were her Cup runners Swain had a number of other top-liners, including eight race winner Pickpocket, The Orator (5 wins and $89,885), her first stakes-winning filly Vera’s Dream who won the 1996 Nevele R Stakes by five lengths, as well as Chiavelli who won six races, and five race winners Milton Vance and Crackem.

In 1995 she won three features at two venues with The Orator winning the Southern Supremacy Stakes and Just Royce taking out the Four Year Old Classic at Ascot Park in Invercargill and then Oneinamillion winning the two-year-old feature at Addington.

“I didn’t like the next morning. I had a cold cloth over my head,” she said in one interview.

Denice Swain was 75.

In the words of Aaron Swain : Forever my Mentor
Forever my Aunty.
RIP

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Denice Swain will be held at the Ascot Park Raceway, Racecourse Road, Invercargill, on Monday, October 7, 2024 at 2.00pm.

From Harness Racing New Zealand