Famous losses that stole spotlight from winner
ALTHOUGH triumphant in tonight's A G Hunter Cup in Melton, Swayzee has been somewhat overshadowed by the Leap to Fame's defeat.
Not only was Leap to Fame a $1.80 favourite, he was attempting to secure a $1million bonus on top of the $142,500 winner's purse.
Harness Racing Victoria offered the $1million to the connections of any pacer which could win four of six specific races -one of those had to be the A G Hunter Cup.
Leap To Fame satisfied the 'country cups' aspect of the challenge with his victories in Ballarat, Cranbourne and Kilmore's flagship events, but fell short in the 'main event'.
Ironically, Swayzee fell one short of capturing a $1million bonus last season when second behind Captain Hammerhead in the Albury Cup.
Unlike Victoria's 'all or nothing' policy, Swayzee did earn connections an extra $500,000 by winning four of the five designated races.
Throughout the years there have been numerous 'famous losses' which have seen the runner-up overshadow the winner, such as the 1978 Queensland Pacing Championship – known at the time as the Sir Clive Uhr Championship.
The Grand Circuit event was captured by star pacer, Rip Van Winkle, which defeated a solid assembly of rivals, headed by champion trotter, Maori’s Idol.
Driven by Ric Healy, Maori’s Idol worked to the lead before being overpowered on the home turn, with Sammy Karamea 15 metres away third.
Rip Van Winkle rated 2:04.2 for the 2530 metres, only five-tenths of a second outside the track record set by Stanley Rio in the 1977 Inter Dominion.
Winner of his two heats, Maori’s Idol was the first, and remains the only, squaregaiter to compete in a pacers’ Grand Circuit event.
While Maori’s Idol is the only performer to compete cross-gaited at the highest level, there have been other members of the beaten brigade which have received more attention and publicity than the winner.
Arguably the most famous of them is San Simeon.
Although beaten on his merits in a 1981 Inter Dominion heat, San Simeon grabbed the majority of the publicity.
The reason San Simeon made so many headlines in defeat was simple – it was his first in 30 starts!
Successful at his previous 29 outings, which remains an Australasian record, the Lou Austin-trained stallion finished second behind Michael Frost.
Almost three decades later, another unbeaten star experienced his first taste of defeat during an Inter Dominion heat.
One of the centrepieces of the 2000 Championship at Moonee Valley, four-year-old New Zealander, Courage Under Fire, went into the Inter Dominion with an unblemished record from 24 starts.
Regarded as the most exciting prospect produced in the southern hemisphere for more than a decade, Courage Under Fire won a record six Derbys the previous season.
Spelled by trainer Bruce Negus the previous July, Courage Under Fire returned for a New Zealand win in December and a Shepparton triumph in January.
His winning streak came to an end on January 22, however, when second to moderately-performed New South Wales entrant, Kyema Kid.
In contrast to the boom pacer, Kyema Kid – trained by Darren Hancock - had run only one placing in his last five starts.
A crowd and punters’ favourite, Courage Under Fire was considered a ‘good thing’ in betting circles at $1.30, with only one other runner, Luke Of Earl, under double figures at $8.90.
Astonishingly, as he went past Courage Under Fire, Hanocck turned to driver Colin De Filippi and said “Sorry mate.”
Courage Under Fire had 27 more starts for 16 wins and three seconds, while Kyema Kid had another seven outings, with three thirds his best efforts.
