By Jordan Gerrans
If not for the guidance and support of his wife Frances, Northern Rivers trainer Fred Swain does not think he would have Black Magic Rose in this week’s Group 1 Brisbane Cup Final.
It is not just the promising black bitch, who has drawn box two for the $525,000 feature; Fred says his long-time partner is vital to the kennel’s fortunes.
In the race book, Fred is down as the trainer of the up-and-coming youngster, with Frances listed as the owner.
In reality, they train as a partnership and team.
And, while Fred will often get the glory on race day if the kennel wins a big race – with Frances regularly at home looking after the pup’s – he says he would not be there without her.
“If I did not have Frances, I do not think I would have the dogs – it is as simple as that,” Fred said.
“You have to have someone there to back you up and she is pretty good with her dogs, she knows her stuff.
“I could not do it without her.
“She would love to come to the races more often but with our pup’s, they have to be looked after.”
Against a field of seasoned elite level dogs, Black Magic Rose is the newcomer to the Group 1 level on Thursday night, boasting just 11 starts so far in her young career.
She put in a smart 29.88 second effort around Albion Park’s 520 metre circuit last Thursday, just beaten by champion dog Equalizer, who is aiming to add another Brisbane Cup to his resume this week.
The young bitch was unlucky not to roll Equalizer in last week’s heat, leading the star dog into the straight before he just got his nose down on the post.
The Swains have been around dogs for much of their lives, with Black Magic Rose one of their most promising chasers at this early stage.
The Swains hail from North Queensland – growing up in Townsville – before marrying and relocating to Sydney.
They spent time away from dogs over the years as their children grew up before eventually returning home to the north of the Sunshine State.
And, it was by chance they would end up in Northern NSW training a team of greyhounds again.
The Swains originally moved to Ellangowan to help out a friend, former trainer Dave Clingan, who had suffered a heart attack.
“He had three pups there and rang me and asked if I could go down and give him a hand – we’ve stayed here since,” Swain recalls.
After spending many years away from training and also racing for much lower prize money in Townsville earlier in their lives, Frances says her husband will still get butterflies in the week leading into a race like the Brisbane Cup.
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“I just tell him to stay calm as he is nervous in a week like this,” she says.
“We work together and he listens to my suggestions with all the dogs.”
The kennel raced Black Magic Rose’s mother - Fay's Magic – who ran in the money in more than half of her 73 race starts.
Black Magic Rose has raced in black-type action from her earliest days – finishing in the placings of the Young Guns and Flying Amy Classic – which has blown away the kennel’s expectations.
“She has been in big races from the start and she has just performed more than I ever thought she could, really for her age, being so young,” Frances said.
“She is doing really well.”
Fred has just kept raising the bar through the winter carnival of 2022 and he has been pleasantly surprised with the way she has grown.
“At first we were just setting her for the Young Guns but after that run, we thought about the Flying Amy Classic, where she did well there, as well,” Fred said.
“We thought then we would give her a go at the Brisbane Cup and for her to qualify for the Final as a baby at 26 months old, that is just enormous.
“We probably threw her in the deep end a little bit but she has come through it well, she is a very good girl.”
Despite almost upsetting the reigning champion in last week’s heats, Fred says his bitch was dealing with concerns around cramping leading into the heats, which he feels she is over now and is primed for a bold run in the Final.
“I thought her run in the heats was enormous,” Fred said.
“It is hard to do it at both ends and I expect her to improve even more come the Final.
“I would rather her drawn inside than out for the Final, but she is only a small dog but she will hold her own.”
Black Magic Rose is rated a $14 chance to claim her maiden Group 1 on Thursday night from box two, with Tony Brett’s Orchestrate rated the favourite with the TAB.
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