King Of Swing | |
---|---|
Breed | Standardbred |
Sire | Rocknroll Hanover (USA) |
Grandsire | Western Ideal (USA) |
Dam | Twist And Twirl (NZ) |
Maternal grandsire | Artsplace (USA) |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 13 November 2014 |
Country | New Zealand |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Breckon Farms Limited |
Trainer | Belinda McCarthy |
Major wins | |
2020, 2021 & 2022 Miracle Mile Pace 2020 & 2022 A G Hunter Cup | |
Awards | |
2020, 2021 & 2022 Australian Harness Horse of the Year |
King Of Swing (foaled 13 November 2014) is a New Zealand bred Standardbred racehorse that became Australasia's champion pacer.
King Of Swing was awarded the Australian Harness Horse of the Year three times (2020, 2021 and 2022). [1] He became the first pacer to win Australasia's richest race, the $A1 million Miracle Mile Pace, three times. [2] He also won the A G Hunter Cup twice and in total he had 11 Group 1 victories.
King Of Swing was bred by Breckon Farms Limited and originally trained by Ray Green in New Zealand. [3] He raced 13 times for Green for 7 wins and 4 seconds, driven by David, Phillip and Zackary Butcher. In August 2017 he won two races in Australia, driven by David Butcher, including the $285,000 Woodlands Stud Breeders Crown Series Final for 2 year old colts and geldings (Group 1, 2240m, Melton) beating Poster Boy and Colt Thirty One.
In March 2018 he was exported to Australia where he was trained by Gary Hall Senior. He later moved to the stables Belinda and Luke McCarthy. [4]
He won the following major races: [5] [6]
Notable placings include:
King Of Swing retired from racing with a record of 81 starts for 43 wins and 18 placings and AUD $3,390,546 in earnings. [11]
After retiring from the track, King Of Swing commenced stud duties at Cobbitty Equine Farm, New South Wales. [12] His 2023/24 service fee was set at $8,800 AUD. [13] [14]
The AG Hunter Cup is a competition in harness racing. It is contested over 2,760 metres at Melton Entertainment Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was one of the world's richest handicap standing start events, but it is now contested under mobile start conditions. The race was formerly staged at Moonee Valley before Victoria's new home of harness racing was opened at Melton Entertainment Park.
The Chariots of Fire is the single richest four-year-old harness race for Standardbreds in Australia. It is raced in February at Menangle raceway.
Harness racing, also colloquially known as trotting or the trots, is a spectator sport in Australia, with significant amounts of money wagered annually with bookmakers and the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB). In Australia there are 90 harness racing tracks, which hold over 1,900 meetings annually. There are approximately 2,900 drivers and 4,000 trainers with about 5,000 Standardbred horses foaled and registered each year.
The Victoria Cup is the premier middle distance harness race of Australia. Conducted over 2575m, rather than the staying distance of over 3000m or the sprint distance of under 2000m, the Victoria Cup was run at the Melbourne Showgrounds up until 1975, when it was shifted to Moonee Valley. In 2009 the SEW Eurodrive Victoria Cup will be run at Harness Racing Victoria's new venue, Melton Entertainment Park at Melton. The race has been part of the Australasian Grand Circuit since 1987. Conducted in February from 1987 to 2003, the race is now conducted over two nights in December, alongside the Australasian Trotting Grand Prix.
The Miracle Mile is an Australian harness racing event for Standardbred pacers that was held at Harold Park Racetrack each November until 2008 when the race was switched to Menangle Park Paceway. Prize money has long been among that of Australia's leading harness races and has often included bonuses for speed.
Lombo Pocket Watch is a champion Australian grey Standardbred colt foaled on 16 October 2003. Bred and raced by Western Australian owner Mick Lombardo, and was primarily trained near Cawdor by Paul Fitzpatrick, with son Gavin Fitzpatrick the regular driver.
Christian Cullen is a Standardbred stallion and was one of New Zealand's best pacers. Named after the New Zealand international rugby union player, Christian Cullen, he won 22 of his 31 starts, and $NZ1,249,150 in prize money. He is notable in that he won both the Auckland Pacing Cup and New Zealand Trotting Cup races, the richest harness races in New Zealand. A powerful and impressive stallion, he has been particularly successful at stud.
The Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Grand Final was a race for trotters within the overall Inter Dominion series. The series is held each year, and is a harness racing competition for both trotters and pacers that has been contested since 1936 in Australia and New Zealand. The host of the series is rotated between the 6 harness racing states of Australia and the North and South Islands of New Zealand. However, in recent years the Trotting series has mainly been held in Victoria with other Australian states reluctant to host the series. It forms part of the overall Inter Dominion series for pacers and trotters.
The Inter Dominion is a harness racing competition that has been contested since 1936 in Australia and New Zealand.
Captain Joy is a Standardbred pacing racehorse whose wins include 6 Group 1 victories including three Derbies, 13 consecutive wins as a 2 and 3 year old and a total of 26 wins through to the end of his 6 year old season.
Changeover is a New Zealand Standardbred racehorse and stud stallion.
Terror To Love is a New Zealand standardbred racehorse. He is best known for being a three-time winner of the New Zealand Trotting Cup, in 2011, 2012 and 2013. He was trained by Graham and Paul Court.
Preux Chevalier was a pacer foaled in New Zealand but notable for his racing successes in Australia in 1984 and 1985 including wins in the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship, Miracle Mile Pace and A G Hunter Cup.
The Queensland Pacing Championship was the most important event in Queensland harness racing. It is usually the opening leg of the Australasian Pacers Grand Circuit. The race was previously known as the Albion Park Ten Thousand between 1969 and 1974 and then as the Sir Clive Uhr Championship from 1975 to 1980. In 2006 the race was postponed from Saturday to Tuesday due to rain and it was not run in 2007 due to the Equine Influenza outbreak that occurred in Queensland and New South Wales. In April 2016 Racing Queensland announced that the Queensland Pacing Championship would be discontinued due to financial considerations.
Smoken Up is an Australian champion Standardbred race horse bred in New Zealand. He was the first pacer outside North America to record a mile in under 1:50. He was known as Trigger.
Im Themightyquinn is an Australian champion Standardbred race horse notable for being a three time Australian Harness Horse of the Year and three time winner of the Inter Dominion. He was inducted into the Inter Dominion Hall of Fame.
Self Assured is a New Zealand Standardbred racehorse, notable for winning the New Zealand Trotting Cup in 2020 and the Auckland Trotting Cup in 2019 and 2022.
Christopher Vance was a Group One-winning New Zealand Standardbred racehorse, trained by Roy and Barry Purdon and generally driven by Barry Purdon or Tony Herlihy.
Bettor's Delight is a former champion American Standardbred race-horse and one of the World's greatest stud stallions.
Copy That is a New Zealand Standardbred racehorse, notable for winning the New Zealand Trotting Cup in 2021 and 2022.