by Adam Hamilton

It has taken less than three weeks for the 2025 season to get serious Down Under.

The two biggest pacing stars — half-brothers Leap To Fame and Swayzee — both step-out for the first time this year.

Somewhat strangely, neither of them will be in Australia’s biggest open class race this weekend, the $100,000 Group 2 Ballarat Cup on Saturday night (Jan. 18). More on that race soon.

Swayzee will be the first big name to step-out when he takes what should be another step towards a new $1 million bonus in the third leg of the five-race New South Wales Carnival of Cups series.

The 7-year-old has won the first two and victory in the third leg at Tamworth tonight (Jan. 17) will guarantee his connections at least a $250,000 bonus.

Swayzee will be unbackable odds against just six vastly inferior rivals at Tamworth.

He then heads to Albury on Feb. 14 for leg 4 and then the final leg at Penrith on March 14.

Winning four of the five would snag Swayzee a $500,000 bonus. It grows to $1 million if he can win the lot.

Trainer Jason Grimson has already flagged bypassing Victoria’s biggest race, the iconic Group 1 Hunter Cup on Feb. 1, to throw all focus at the bonus.

For the first time in his stellar career, the great Leap To Fame is returning from a setback.

The now 6-year-old battled a niggling throat infection late last year and missed three of the sport’s biggest races, the Victoria and New Zealand Cup as well as the chance to defend his title in the NSW Inter Dominion series.

Leap To Fame hasn’t raced since a Menangle win on Oct. 26.

Trainer/driver Grant Dixon admitted there is always some level of trepidation when bringing a horse back from a setback, especially a champion like Leap To Fame.

But he quickly added, after Leap To Fame sparkled in an Albion Park trial win last Friday, that all signs were the stallion’s throat issue was history.

“It was a strong trial and he felt as though he could’ve gone much quicker,” Dixon said. “His heart rate was great after it, which shows his fitness. We just want to get through this Albion Park run, which will certainly tell us if there is anything still lingering.

“If this week goes well, and with the run under his belt this week, that might be all he needs to prime him for the Hunter Cup.

“The way the travel works, he will be in Melbourne 10 days before the Hunter Cup, so there’s the option to give him a run down there the week before, but it’s in the plans at the moment. We’ll finalize everything after he races this week.”

Leap To Fame boasts 44 wins from just 55 starts and almost $3.25 million in prize money.

Last year, Leap To Fame won the Hunter Cup, Cranbourne Cup, Newcastle Mile and Miracle Mile in the space of five weeks as part of a 13-race winning streak.

Dixon said a replica program was on the cards again, providing Saturday night goes to plan.

“If we’re in Melbourne, it just makes sense to stay and do Cranbourne,” he said. “Then, it worked well to go to Newcastle last year to qualify him for the Miracle Mile.

“There’s been some talk Newcastle may not be a [Miracle Mile] qualifier this year, but it still seems to be and that’s certainly our preferred pathway.”

Rounding out a big weekend, many of Victoria’s major Hunter Cup hopefuls will clash in the $100,000 Group 2 Ballarat Cup on Saturday night.

Sadly, the race is a shadow of its glory days, but still an important guide to the likes of rejuvenated veteran Bulletproof Boy (gate 3), last week’s Shepparton Cup winner Kanena Provlima (5) and classy Emma Stewart-trained stablemates Mach Dan (7) and Perfect Class (8).

While the stars are spread far and wide this weekend, most of them will come together for the Hunter Cup.

Trainer Andy Gath has opted to bypass Ballarat and wait another week to unleash his $2 million earner Catch A Wave, despite two recent impressive Melton trials.

“Historically, he’s best when he backs up within a week going into a major race,” Gath said. “So, if we wait and go to the Casey Classic next week, he can back-up the week after in the Hunter Cup.”

Excitingly, waiting in the wings and ready to cross the ditch from New Zealand is one of its three pacers, Republican Party.

He brilliantly won the Flying Stakes at Cambridge last Thursday and will launch his Victorian campaign when he clashes with Catch A Wave in next Saturday’s Casey Classic.

The Cran Dalgety-trained Republican Party has gone to a new level this campaign with Group 1 wins in the Auckland and Invercargill Cups, along with a placing in the New Zealand Cup behind Swayzee.

Just for good measure, Australia’s emerging pacing star Don Hugo, who brilliantly won last month’s NSW Inter Dominion final, is also being set for the Hunter Cup.

Interestingly, trainer/driver Luke McCarthy is leaning towards going into the race first-up.

Don Hugo hasn’t raced since that Inter Dominion win on Dec. 14.