KEY POINTS:
Apache Cat's Hong Kong plans were in tatters after the Bart Cummings-trained Swick popped his group one bubble in the Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington on Saturday.
Australia's reigning champion sprinter was going for his sixth Group One win in a row but was a beaten horse with 600 metres to go and only struggled home into eighth in the 11-horse A$500,000 1200m feature.
"It is probably the worst run he has ever put in in his life and there is no explanation for it," trainer Greg Eurell said.
Apache Cat was having his first run for the spring and Eurell said that the rich Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin on December 14 was now in doubt for the big chestnut.
Meanwhile, Cummings broke new ground for himself when, for the first time in the same year, he trained the winner of the Melbourne Cup and the premier sprint at the cup carnival.
Swick gave Cummings his sixth win in the feature sprint after finishing fourth to Dance Hero in 2006 and fifth of six to Miss Andretti last year.
He first won the race with Century in 1973, while his other winners were Maybe Mahal (1976), Foregone Conclusion (1982), Taj Quillo (1986) and Unspoken Word (1992).
Viewed gave Cummings his 12th Melbourne Cup victory with a stunning form reversal at $41 but punters anticipated Swick would improve and backed him from $21 to $16 on Saturday to give the legendary trainer his 251st group one win.
Saturday was Swick's 11th start down the straight and he had always promised to win a group one sprint at Flemington.
"I don't get confident, I just work them the way I think is the way to go and hope for the best," Cummings said, referring to Swick's chances.
"He loves it up the straight here and they were ideal conditions for him today with plenty of space in a small field where he could get cracking out in the middle, and the rest is history."
Ridden by Michael Rodd, Swick streaked down the centre of the track from last to win by a half-length from Turffontein ($26), trained by Cummings' son Anthony, with Sunburnt Land ($3.80) third.
- AAP