by Adam Hamilton

Champions are great, but fierce rivalries are even better.

When it comes to Aussie pacers Leap To Fame and Swayzee, there are so many layers to it.

Leap To Fame is a champion, by whatever measure.

And Swayzee is one of the great modern-day stayers, already with a Group 1 victory over Leap To Fame.

Throw in the fact they are siblings — both out of Art Major mare Lettucereason — and the rivalry burns even deeper.

Swayzee is a big burly son of Rock N Roll Heaven, while Leap To Fame is more compact and athletic, being a son of Bettors Delight.

They were both bred by Paul Kahlefeldt through his family’s Redbank Lodge.

Leap To Fame and Swayzee have met just twice and the scoreline sits at 1-1.

Swayzee drew first blood when he upstaged his younger half-brother in the Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park on July 22, last year.

It left a large and very pro-Leap To Fame crowd gobsmacked.

Driver Cam Hart took Swayzee to the front, forcing Leap To Fame to sit parked and chase.

And chase he certainly had to as Hart “cut the ribbons” on Swayzee and let him charge along in front, smashing the track record with a 1:54 mile rate for the long 2680-meter trip.

More drama emerged post-race when Leap To Fame returned with not only a flat tire, but a tube which had wrapped around his sulky wheel and seized it for the length of the home straight. It became like a handbrake, according to trainer/driver Grant Dixon.

To say it added merit to Leap To Fame’s defeat was an understatement.

Hours after the win, Swayzee’s trainer Jason Grimson, who claims he was heckled and called a cheat by numerous people on track, was involved in a brawl, which later saw him disqualified for 12 months.

Grimson subsequently fought the penalty and had it reduced to a fine.

Like a boxing title fight, Leap To Fame fans were screaming for a rematch immediately after the Blacks A Fake.

But they had to wait a few months, for the Brisbane Inter Dominion final at Albion Park on Dec. 16.

In between stoushes, Swayzee underlined his staying greatness by doing what has been almost impossible for Australian-trained pacers… winning the iconic New Zealand Cup at Addington in Christchurch last November.

Swayzee downed local pin-up pacer and favorite Akuta in an astonishing display of sustained speed and strength; much like his Blacks A Fake win.

He became just the second Aussie-trained pacer in 38 years to beat the Kiwis in their biggest race.

Then came the Brisbane Inter Dominion.

Event organizers wisely kept Swayzee and Leap To Fame apart through the three rounds of qualifying heats to build suspense.

Come final time, Swayzee drew inside Leap To Fame but the local hero was still a warm favorite because of his effortless cruise through wins in all three qualifying heats.

Could Swayzee do it again?

The race was effectively over in the first 250 meters when outsider Future Assured was able to get across Swayzee at the start, giving Leap To Fame the advantage of being able to work forward and take the lead.

Swayzee tried hard, but having to reverse the rolls from the Blacks A Fake was too big an ask.

Leap To Fame roared clear to win easily, with Swayzee 11.5 meters away in third place.

Grimson didn’t make excuses at the time, but later revealed the tough NZ Cup run and associated travel had taken a toll on Swayzee.

“I’m sure we didn’t have the absolute best version of him through the Inter Dominion,” he said.

So, Swayzee headed to the paddock for a long spell and missed many of Australia’s biggest races earlier this year.

Leap To Fame took full advantage of Swayzee’s absence, continuing a winning streak which is now 13 races.

Through that, the 5-year-old completed Aussie harness racing’s “Triple Crown,” by adding the Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile to his Inter Dominion win.

The only other pacer to do that in the same campaign was the mighty Preux Chevalier, way back in 1985.

Grimson watched, waited and wondered what if with Swayzee.

But now both are back, firing and in Queensland.

They both race this weekend, but not against each other just yet.

Leap To Fame is chasing his 14th successive win and his 38th from just 48 starts when he contests Friday night’s (June 21) Patrons Purse at Redcliffe.

The following night, the NSW-based Swayzee opens his latest Brisbane raid as a hot favorite in the Lucky Creed Pace over his ideal 2680-meter trip.

Fans are itching for round three between the siblings.

So, when will it be?

We may have to wait until the $400,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake again. It’s on July 27 at Albion Park.

That’s because Leap To Fame will go to the $100,000 Group 2 Redcliffe Cup on June 29 and the $200,000 Group 1 Sunshine Sprint on July 20.

Grimson has indicated neither race is on the radar for Swayzee.

Whenever it is, it’ll be worth the wait.