SWISS ACE DOES HIMSELF PROUD WHICH IS MORE THAN SOME PEOPLE CAN SAY THEY ARE DOING

By Graham Potter | Sunday, February 10, 2013

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily

One of finest racehorses produced at the Sunshine Coast hit the headlines again this week.

He might have done so some 2500km away from his old racing base and he might have been filling an entirely different role but Swiss Ace was once again doing his connections proud and, in his own small way, reviving a happy link to Sunshine Coast racing.

A twelve time winner, the Mick Mair trained Swiss Ace ended his racing career with a winning performance at Corbould Park back on August 30, 2009. By that time he had built a formidable reputation in keeping with the high level of results he achieved both in victory and defeat … such as his win the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate and his narrow loss in a photo-finish to the top class Scenic Blast in the Group 1 Newmarket at Flemington.

The ledger looked pretty good as well.

A $6000 purchase, Swiss Ace had amassed $952 600 in stakes by the time he was retired.

Gerry Harvey has never been shy to take a punt. When Harvey took the decision to move into the New Zealand breeding scene three years ago his keen eye fell upon Swiss Ace who he purchased as one of the foundation stallions at his Westbury stud.

Fast forward to the statistics of the sales held at Karaka in New Zealand last week and Swiss Ace features prominently with his progeny being in demand in all three of the respective Karaka sales categories.

His yearlings in fact topped the final three sessions on the third day of the Select sale and he again came out on top on both Festival days.

So it appears this could be the blossoming of a new career for Swiss Ace in a cosy, comfortable setting away from the hurly-burly of the battle of race action.

Make no mistake, Swiss Ace always loved a fight, was tough as teak and never gave an inch but that era of his life has now be confined to the past.

Chances are a constant smile has replaced his game-face as he goes about his business now, pretty happy with the way life has turned out!

We remember Swiss Ace fondly as well as the feats of local stalwarts Mick Mair and Ken Pope, the trainer / jockey combination who took Swiss Ace all the way to the top.

It is good to see he is still doing well.

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On a less palatable note, the in-fighting that threatens to cause the industry in Queensland to implode continues unabated.

Whatever the issue, it always seems acrimony is the weapon of choice with self- interest over-riding overall industry benefit.

That is a tried and failed system which has to shoulder most of the blame for getting racing into its current vulnerable position in the first place.

Pat Duff, President of the Queensland branch of the Australian Trainers’ Association summed up the current situation perfectly.

“The thing is racing is built on tradition which can be a good thing,” said Duff. “But, sadly, it also means that for any change to take place apparently World War 3 has to break out first.”

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Common sense dictates it should not be that way.

If the future of the thousands of people who work in the industry is to be safeguarded, it simply cannot be that way.

And don’t think for a minute a change of attitude, which is an essential requirement to set racing on a different course, is not an urgent matter.

The iceberg is approaching.

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