Aardiebythehill wins Ordeal

In a titanic home straight battle, the Robert and Jenna Dunn trained Aardiebythehill (Muscle Hill) came back to beat hot favourite Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) in harness racing’s time honoured Ordeal Cup at Addington tonight.

Beginning sharply, Aardiebythehill took up the role of pacemaker with favourite Muscle Mountain getting well back after he got sideswiped by stablemate Midnight Dash.

Just as Muscle Mountain began to improve inside the last 600 metres, Aardiebythehill’s driver John Dunn poured the pace on.  Down the home straight Muscle Mountain got his neck in front but Aardiebythehill wouldn’t go away and came back bravely, winning by half a neck with both drivers throwing everything at their charges.

“It was a great drive by Johnny, enough to take the sting out of Muscle Mountain,” said co-trainer Robert Dunn.

The end of the 2600 metre race was a reminder of the titanic battle in last year’s Dominion Handicap when the Dunn trained Sundees Son (Majestic Son) came back and beat Muscle Mountain by a head.

“I thought it was Sundees Son all over again. He’s a neat horse to have round the place and just a lovely horse to train. This horse is a tradesman and sometimes they can win these types of races,” Robert Dunn told Nigel Armstrong of Harness Racing Unhinged.

The Phil Williamson pair performed well with Majestic Man (Majestic Son) running home well for third and stablemate Love N The Port (Love You) storming home late for fourth. With neither runner having had any trials they’ll benefit from the run.

AARDIEBYTHEHILL REPLAY

Aardiebythehill was developed by northern trainer Derek Balle who trained him to win his first five races before his owner Canadian businessman Mike Tanev placed him with the Dunns who have also now won five races with the five year old.

“He (Mike Tanev) rang us one day to train the horse thinking it might be better if it was trained on the beach with some of the better trotters in the South Island. If the horse is in the Dominion I think he’ll be over for sure.”

The gelding has a string of minor placings in group races and tonight’s win was a well deserved black print victory.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink