Tough task to reach half-a-million dollars

He’s closing in on a half a million dollars in earnings.

Yet star square-gaiter Tough Monarch might not even start favourite in Saturday night’s $33,000 Group 2 Garrards Tony and Jill McGrath Trotters Cup at Tabcorp Park Menangle.

Given a 30m backmark to contend with over the rarely-run distance of 3009m, Tough Monarch ($3.50) will have to somehow get around 13 rivals, including stablemate Indefensible, if he is to capture the feature.

Among those will be the KerryAnn Morris trained and Rob Morris driven Funky Monkey ($3.25), who tasted defeat for the first time in Australia when second behind the classy Aldebaran Revani at Menangle two weeks ago.

Trainer-driver Rickie Alchin will test Tough Monarch’s versatility in the next couple of weeks as his immediate goal is a Group One trotters’ race at Melton over the flying mile after tonight’s marathon test.

“He’s a hard horse to place here in Sydney, being such a high grade,” said Alchin.

“The dollars he’s won puts him in a position where he’ll always draw badly.

“I’ve elected to stay here and race tonight, but these races are never easy to win off a handicap with 13 horses to come around – but the distance won’t worry him.

“After he raced in Queensland during their carnival, he was so close to breaking the half-million-dollar mark and I probably got a little bit greedy and put him in when we probably should have been giving him a bit of a let-up.

“We’ve freshened him up now and his work on Saturday was as good as it’s been and I think he’s right where I want him with the following week his main goal.”

“I could have sent him to Bendigo to race tonight but either way it would not have been ideal, so I elected to stay here for another week before he heads south.”

Alchin said he hadn’t discussed who would drive Tough Monarch in Victoria although champion former Kiwi reinsman Anthony Butt was probably his first option.

Alchin’s other runner in tonight’s Cup, Indefensible ($17) is perfectly-drawn in gate one for his sternest test so far.

“This is a big step up for him but I actually nominated him for the Inter Dom, mainly because it is here,” he said.

“If he steps cleanly tonight and is on the pace, he won’t disgrace himself.”

To view the fields for Menangle on Saturday night click here.

By Michael Court for HRNSW