Sprinter Sir Sway set for Railway Stakes lead-in to $1m The Goodwood

Gun sprinter Sir Sway can be Jason Jaensch’s first Group 1 runner, but the Naracoorte trainer is hoping to first land Saturday’s Listed Railway Stakes at Oakbank before a crack at the $1 million The Goodwood next month.

Sir Sway storms home to win the Listed Manihi Classic on Adelaide Cup Day at Morphettville. Picture: Makoto Kaneko

Gun sprinter Sir Sway can be Jason Jaensch’s first Group 1 runner, but the Naracoorte trainer is hoping to first land Saturday’s Listed Railway Stakes at Oakbank before a crack at the $1 million The Goodwood next month.

Sir Sway, a two-time stakes winner, finished eighth in the Group 3 Irwin Stakes last Saturday, finishing three lengths behind star sprinter Asfoora in a quality field.

The son of Sir Prancealot has shown he’s ready to back-up in Saturday’s $140,000 Railway Stakes (1100m), the richest race on Oakbank’s two-day carnival, before Jaensch puts him on ice for a maiden Group 1 tilt in May.

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“He stayed up at Murray Bridge after the Irwin, he’s worked very well since and the run didn’t knock him too much,” Jaensch, who trains in partnership with mother Sue, said.

“It was a very good run, there were some pretty handy horses in there, he probably just settled in a position he doesn’t really like.

“We just put it down to that, he copped a little bit of a check late (as well).”

Sir Sway resumed on Adelaide Cup Day (March 10) with an enormous first-up win over Prairie Flower in the Manihi Classic before an honest second to Aviatress in the Matrice Stakes on March 29.

The Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 10 remains his grand final – a race which trainer Clayton Douglas on Wednesday confirmed would be the first-up mission for 2022 The Everest winner Giga Kick.

SIr Sway is enormous first-up to take out the listed Manihi Classic & make it an incredible three wins on the trot 🔥 pic.twitter.com/s2CJ0HAFv3

— Racing.com (@Racing) March 10, 2025

• Giga Kick's Group 1 return locked in

“I’m very happy with the way he’s come back in, we’ll just have to see how he copes with the big step up in The Goodwood,” he said.

“That’s his grand final for this prep, we’ll see where he’s at after that and go from there. It’ll be a step up, but he’s the type of horse that’s stepped up time and again for us.”

The Oakbank course is unique, with a gradual rise along the back straight before a descent down the hill at the 600m as runners turn for home, it can be a tricky circuit to navigate, but Jaensch is confident Sir Sway will handle it first time around.

“We’ve got a fast work track (at home) with a bit of a rise in it and he absolutely flew around there coming into the spring – we’re pretty confident he’ll handle it,” he said.

GIGA KICK'S GROUP 1 RETURN LOCKED IN

2022 The Everest champ Giga Kick will forgo the opportunity to win a second Doomben 10,000 and instead kick off his winter campaign in the $1 million The Goodwood at Morphettville on May 10. Story: @bendorries76 👇https://t.co/erpiIpCa4B

— Racenet (@RacenetTweets) April 16, 2025

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The eight-time race winner will be ridden by premiership-winning hoop Jake Toeroek on Saturday.

Stablemates Turned Loose and We’ve Gotta Deel will also turn out on Saturday in the Country Cup (1900m).

“Both should go very well. We’ve Gotta Deel will handle the step up (distance), it’ll just be the step up in grade that will be his test,” Jaensch said.

“Turned Loose has always shown a fair bit, she probably just got caught a bit wide last start (fifth) and that’s what told late I think.”

Originally published as Sprinter Sir Sway set for Railway Stakes lead-in to $1m The Goodwood