Ben gets black type

Ben Hope who now trains in partnership with his father Greg, recorded his first black type harness racing win when Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) took out the $60,000 Group Two Lone Star Alexandra Park Lyell Creek Stakes in Auckland last night.

“I can’t take too much credit to be fair. Mum and Dad have been doing all the hard work with him up north. It’s very special to get a Group race as a trainer and to win a Group Two on this fella is really cool,” Ben said.

After leading off the gate Hope handed up to Australian Not As Promised which posted Queen Elida three back on the inside.

“He’s getting older. I thought that Josh’s one (Not As Promised) was trotting good enough and wasn’t a bad one to follow.”

Not As Promised got Muscle Mountain to the passing lane, then Hope reined his runner up to get home by a length and a quarter from Queen Elida.

MUSCLE MOUNTAIN REPLAY

“I was worried about Queen Elida on my back because she’s in great form and I was worried she may be able to outsprint us up the straight.”

The time was 2-44.1 with the last 800 run in 57 seconds.

The win was Muscle Mountain’s second in the Lyell Creek Stakes and co-trainer Greg Hope’s third win in the feature. He and Nina trained Monbet to win in 2015.

“He might not be the horse that he was, but he’s still a bloody good horse and winning some good races.”

The win was the eight year old’s 36th and first for this season. The gelding will stay in the north for the Anzac Cup on the 25th of April before running in the Rowe Cup a week later.

“He’s in a good place but he’s going to need a good run in those two big trots and hopefully we get it.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink