Rangiora trotter banks another win

Muscle Bank (Muscle Hill) made it two from two in the $20,000 Seddon Shield Series Marlborough Trotters Cup at Waterlea Raceway today (Jan. 21) for young harness racing trainer Tom Bamford.

After a number of lead changes driver Sam Thornley waited patiently at the back with Muscle Bank and with a lap to run became well placed in the one one behind Anna’s Boy. Just before turning in Thornley pulled the seven year old mare out three wide to make her run. Halfway down the straight, Muscle Bank and Boyz Invasion cleared out from the chasing pack and at the finish line Muscle Bank had three lengths to spare on Boyz Invasion with a further seven lengths back to Idle Stuartia.

The win was Thornley’s 102nd and his second on Muscle Bank in as many starts.

“He’s a great young driver who’s going places,” Bamford said.

The Rangiora based horseman is in his fifth season of training and Muscle Bank’s win today was his nineth.

“I knew she had the motor but she just hasn’t been trotting right. Today and on Friday she was hitchy in her gait but she does seem to go better on the grass. The extra distance helped and she was just too good today.”

Bamford said the talented trotting mare needs on-going maintenance.

“She’s quite sore in her SI joint over her back so we’ve been monitoring that and treating it. She won’t race for another six weeks so I can get that done.”

Muscle Bank has been in Bamford’s care for eighteen months and she’s now the winner of seven races, three for Bamford.

“She doesn’t have a quick quarter in her, she’s more of a staying mare and the grass takes the speed out of some of them. The motor’s always been there and I knew she was going to win plenty of races.”

Bred and owned by Ronnie Dawe, Muscle Bank is out of Continental Auto which won three for Phil Burrows, one for Todd Mitchell and once in Australia. Her first win was in the Group Two NZ Sires Stakes Two Year Old Trotters Championship. Muscle Banks third dam Indette (Boydon Hanover) won twenty one races for Roy and Barry Purdon so there’s plenty of good breeding there.

Bamford trains out of Dawe’s Rangiora stable located next to the racecourse where he has thirteen horses in work all owned by Dawe.

“He handed me the reins eighteen months ago and he’s been really good to me.”

Bamford’s grandfather Neville was a hobby trainer based in Westport who trained five winners from a small team. Three of those wins (Shez Sheila (1997), RJ Rule (2000) and Hey Charlie (2006) were achieved on the Waterlea track where Muscle Bank won today.

Since leaving University Tom has worked for Phil Burrows, Geoff and James Dunn and he spent four years at Regan Todds.

Later in the day, Bamford won with Millwood Indie (Captaintreacherous) also owned by Dawe. She was handled by Carter Dalgety.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink