Sacred Mountain off to Aussie

Cambridge harness racing trainer Nicky Chilcott has said her goodbyes to her best trotter Sacred Mountain (Muscle Hill).

“She left at 4 o’clock this morning (Wednesday) for Melbourne. We just couldn’t keep racing her off 50 metres. It’s just too tough. She’s a quality mare and you’ll break their heart,” Chilcott said.

Sacred Mountain began her career for Gore trainer Brian Norman who from twenty starts won two races with the mare and recorded five minor placings.

She was bought by Merv and Meg Butterworth in October 2021 and sent north to Chilcott shortly afterwards.

Under Chilcott’s care Sacred Mountain won the G3 Cambridge Flying Stakes, was third in the G3 Greenlane Cup and the  G2 Waikato Flying Mile and finished second in the G3 Northern Trotting Breeders Stakes.

For the Chilcott stable she’s won ten races and was placed a further thirteen times, banking $170,645.

“There are no opportunities left for her here which is devastating for me. I’m not a big trainer and nice horses like her don’t come along often.”

Sacred Mountain is heading to Chris Svanosio’s barn.

“She’ll do a great job over there. Every time we gave her a let up and brought her back, she just continued to get better, and I can’t see that changing. The reality is that she’s been racing off 40 and 50 metres and smashing the clock. Over there in three weeks time she races for $25,000 in a fillies and mares race off the front, so it’s a no brainer.”

Sacred Mountain is out of the Sundon mare Aceofdiamonds and the Butterworths have already had success with two of her progeny in Australia.

Blue Sky Commander (Skyvalley) won thirteen races and was Group placed six times including running second to Speeding Spur in the G1 Victoria Trotters Derby.

Ace Commander (Monarchy) won five races here before he was purchased by Merv and Meg. He had another fourteen starts in Australia, winning four.

“Merv has done me a huge favour in leaving her (Sacred Mountain) here for as long as he has. He’s been extremely loyal to me and I’m hugely grateful for the time I’ve had her here. With Merv and Meg the horses are not just a number. They come first no matter what.”

Meanwhile Chilcott’s talented trotter The Moonstone (Monkey Bones) is back in work after a disappointing start to her three year old campaign.

She won two of her four starts as a two year old and in five starts at three she’s broken in four of her races.

“I had blond hair before she started racing this time back and now I’m grey like her. When she first started her manners were unbelievable. With the two year old racing she just got a little bit wound up and now she’s being a naughty girl. We’ve given her a two week break and we’ve decided to start again. I took her to the water treadmill yesterday and she’ll have two weeks on that. She’s just going through a baby phase that she’ll just have to grow out of.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink