Aussie raider ready to rock n roll

There’ll be a stack of interest in winning Group One Australian harness racing trotter Aldebaran Zeus (Muscle Hill) when he lines up in New Zealand for the first time in Friday night’s (Apr. 14) Group Two Waikato Flying Mile.

“He’s travelled over really good, settled in great, and he’s thriving on the trip. I couldn’t be happier,” trainer Brent Lilley said.

Although the horse is staying with Michelle and Bernie Hackett at Waiuku close to the beach, Lilley says he hasn’t ventured to the seaside yet.

“I’ve given him a couple of runs at Pukekohe. When we’ve got a bit more time next week we’ll head down there and give him a bit of a look. We were a bit easy on him before he came over, but the runs have brought him right back on song and he feels as sharp as a tack.”

Of the eight runners in Friday night’s trotting feature Aldebaran Zeus has the best mile time of 1-52.6 and Lilley confirmed that regular driver Chris Alford will drive the five year old.

“Chris knows him like the back of his hand. The horse is very quick off the gate and he’s very effective over the short trips, so it’ll be handlebars down and no looking back.”

Aldebaran Zeus’s (Muscle Hill) seventeen wins include four Group Ones – the Hammerhead Mile, Aldebaran Park Māori Mile, the Australian Trotting Championship and the Breeders Crown for Three Year Old Colts and Geldings.

Lilley won this race back in 2017 with Kyvalley Blur (Chocolatier).

He confirmed that Aldebaran Zeus will have four runs in New Zealand culminating in the 3200 metre Rowe Cup at the end of May.

“’He’s won a Group One over 2700 from the stand so he’s proved that he can go over the longer trips.”

For complete race entries, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink