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Blacks A Fake winner returning to defend his crown

8 May 2024

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By Adam Hamilton

Young gun trainer Jason Grimson will unleash his full stable force, headed by defending Blacks A Fake champion, on the Queensland Constellations.

And Queenslanders will see Grimson a lot earlier than expected.

“I’ll head up later this month with a big team, including Swayzee,” he said.

“I’ve got a nice team and there’s some really nice races for them.

“There’s Swayzee, Nerano and Hi Manameisjeff for the open-class races, Frankie Ferocious for the Rising Sun, Illavabubbles for the mares’ races and Royal Dan for the trotting races, too.”

Swayzee, who upstaged his younger sibling Leap To Fame in last year’s Blacks A Fake, hasn’t raced since finishing third to the same pacer in the Brisbane Inter Dominion final on December 16.

A return clash of Swayzee and Leap To Fame - who have a 1-1 scoreline - would be one of the highlights of the harness year.

Races

8
8

Albion Park | Albion Park Harness Racing Club | 8:50 PM

2023 LADBROKES THE BLACKS A FAKE QUEENSLAND CHAMPIONSHIP (G1 - GRAND C

1
SWAYZEE
D: Cameron Hart
2
LEAP TO FAME
D: Grant Dixon
3
HOT AND TREACHEROUS NZ
D: Nathan Dawson

“He’s just about right to go again. He’ll trial at Menangle next Wednesday and then I’ll look for one lead-up race here before we head to Brisbane,” Grimson said.

“He’d have been back earlier, he'd probably gone to the Nullarbor (in Perth last month), but he had a leg issue and needed some infection removed. He seems right back to his best now and it’ll be great to get him back racing.

“The Blacks A Fake will be his main aim, but he’ll have a few runs up there. Then we’ll turn our focus to the hometown (NSW) Inter Dominion with him. I don’t think we’ll take him back to NZ (to defend the NZ Cup he won last year). It’s a big ask to do the NZ Cup and come back for the Inter Dominion.

“Nerano could be my NZ Cup horse this year. That’s why he’ll go to the Redcliffe Cup for the standing start.

“I’ll also take Hi Manameisjeff up for the sprint races in Brisbane. I’ll put a (lugging) pole on him, so I’m not worried about him getting around the smaller track (than Menangle).”

Grimson has a huge opinion of his former Queensland pacer Frankie Ferocious, who is being set for the Group 1 The Rising Sun.

“He’s two, maybe three weeks away from racing. He’ll have a light Brisbane campaign, maybe three runs because the TAB Eureka is his big aim in September,” he said.

Frankie Ferocious won the Chariots Of Fire at just his third start for Grimson and hasn’t raced since a fantastic fourth to Leap To Fame in the Miracle Mile on March 9.

“The Rising Sun is his main target, but he might run in the Sunshine Sprint, too. We’ll see how he is,” Grimson said.

Jason Grimson and Cameron Hart celebrate their NZ Cup triumph