Syd Swain has never shied away from expressing himself, and as he prepares kennel star Zig Zag Man for a tilt at the 2026 Ladbrokes Country Classic, he reckons it's about time he backed up his bold claims.
“I’ve got nine months to prove to people how good this bloke is or they will start thinking I’ve lost it,” Swain laughed.
“I’ve been telling everyone he’s a star but he’s been unlucky here and had a bad box there so now is his time to shine.”
Syd Swain with 14-time winner, Zig Zag Man
Zig Zag Man will lock horns with Group 1 winning star, Without A Trace, in the opening preliminary at Dubbo on Saturday night.
But despite her lengthy list of recent accolades, Swain believes his dog might be better suited over the middle distance.
“600m is my bloke’s best trip for sure and I don’t think many dogs could beat him if he’s untouched.,” he said.
“He doesn’t have the early pace to match it with the 500m dogs and 700m probably pulls up him a bit late…but this is his distance.”
That confidence consolidated by a recent third-place finish in the Group 1 Golden Sands behind Miss Envy over 600m at The Q.
Swain encouraging punters to forget about last week’s warmup run at Dubbo when half the field found trouble.
Instead, plotting his charge’s path to victory on Saturday night.
“I know it’s a big call but if my guy can get across near the lead, I don’t think the stayers can catch him,” Swain said.
“Tommy Tzouvelis’ bitch [Zipping Lee] is a very good beginner and cuts left quickly every time so she could cart us into the race…if Zipping Lee goes right and ruins my plan though, I’ll hand my license in.”
The 69-year-old eager to go a few better in this year’s series after finishing third in the corresponding race with Kangaroo Jack in 2025.
“This dog is a flying machine, he’s just never had luck,” he added.
“In the Million Dollar Chase last year, he was one of the best dogs in the series without winning but he took ground off Power And Glory late in the semi-finals and pushed Cumbria Jack all the way in the consolation. You don't get better form than that.”
“He’s got a big race in hi so hopefully this is it.”
Three heats of the Ladbrokes Country Classic will be run at Dubbo on Saturday night with the $100,000-to-the-winner final, also at Dubbo, slated for March 21.
