Group One-winning trotter is set to have his final northern run at Cambridge Raceway tonight before he heads for a spell in preparation for spring harness racing.
The talented trotter has been in stellar form in the north, becoming a worthy adversary for the ever-dominant Sundees Son.
Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) got the better of his rival two starts back when winning over a mile at Alexandra Park, but Sundees Son equalled the northern ledger a week later when winning the Group 1 Peter Breckon Memorial 2022 National Mobile Trot (2700m).
Greg Hope, who trains Muscle Mountain in partnership with his wife Nina, has been pleased with the way his charge has come through his gruelling last start run.
āHe was a little bit jaded for a couple of days, but he has bounced back really well from the hard run,ā he said.
āWe couldnāt be happier with the way the horse is, he is a box of birds at the moment.ā
While the pair are developing a great rivalry, they will not meet in the Group 2 Group 1 Turf Bar Trotters Flying Mile āG2ā Mobile Trot (1609m) on Thursday, with trainers Robert and Jenna Dunn electing to bypass the Cambridge feature with Sundees Son.
While Muscle Mountain will meet just four other competitors on Thursday, Hope said he will have to be at his best to beat Bolt For Brilliance.
āWe donāt underestimate Bolt, he is a very good horse,ā Hope said. āThere is not a lot between Bolt and Muscle Mountain, itās just on who gets the better run.ā
While Hope is happy with his gelding heading into Thursday, he said it will likely be his last race before returning home to Canterbury for a spell.
āWe will probably make the Flying Mile our last start and he will go home for a break, only because we want to look after him. Hopefully next year will be his year,ā Hope said.
āJohnny (Dunn, driver of Sundees Son) sets up New Zealand records every time they go out the last few times and we donāt need to keep doing that, I donāt think.
Hope is also looking forward to lining-up in-form pacer A Gās White Socks in the Group 2 McMillan Equine Feeds Pacers Flying Mile āG2ā (1609m) on Thursday.
The son of Rock N Roll Heaven ran third in the Group 1 NZ Messenger (2700m) last month and Hope has been pleased with the eight-year-old in the lead-up to Thursday.
āHe is really in the zone at the moment,ā Hope said. āIt is going to be difficult for him where he is placed (5), there is a lot of speed inside him.
āBut we are really happy with where he is at, he is working great.ā
Following Thursdayās race, Hope said A Gās White Socks will head to the Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m).
āHe will miss next weekās Roy Purdon, and we will give him a crack at the Auckland Cup,ā he said.
āIt is not an ideal race next week because it is a 2200m stand and it is a handicap, so it is not an ideal race for AG to have a go at seeming as how he begins, so we will just throw the dice at the Auckland Cup.ā
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By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk