Gus completes stunning Cup week double

The hesitation in Pete McMullen’s voice suggests there could be relief in sight for New Zealand’s beleaguered open class trotting stars.

Because after driving Gus to a massive Cup week Group-1 double the Queenslander says he may not be back for the first half of 2026.

McMullen was all controlled aggression to add the NZ Trotting Free-For-All to the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot from Tuesday, sitting parked to hold out Muscle Mountain and Oscar Bonavena in another no-argument performance, with leader Jilliby Ballerini fading out.

It capped a mammoth week for McMullen and wife Chantal Turpin, who trains Gus, but while they have loved their time in Christchurch and all going well will be back for next Cup week, McMullen wasn’t sure whether an autumn campaign up north will be in the offing.

“We have had discussions about the slot race (TAB Trot at Cambridge in April) but not very seriously and haven’t really got into it yet,” said McMullen.

“So we will see what happens but I am not sure his owners will be buying a slot.”

GUS REPLAY

They probably won’t have to as after his dominance of the two huge trots at this carnival Gus will be at the top of many slot holders shopping lists if the Turpin/McMullen team are up for another Trans Tasman trip in April.

What would help is if they are able to get Gus to trot well right-handed, which would open the door for races like the Rowe Cup at Alexandra Park a few weeks later and make the trip a multi-target campaign.

But considering how long it has taken them to get Gus close to faultless left-handed, the Queensland couple may not be rushing to start tinkering with him to go the other way around.

And any New Zealand autumn campaign is complicated by the fact the Inter Dominions are now based in Queensland during the winter, on Gus’s home track and after this week he, and Victorian star Keayang Zahara, might scare most of the Kiwis away from making that trip.

Muscle Mountain was brave in second and Oscar Bonavena again flashed home for third but as good as they were this week of open class trotting belong to the horse with the little name and big heart.

For complete race results, click here.

by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing New Zealand