Muscle Mountain ready to climb

Co-trainer Greg Hope is happy with Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) leading into tomorrow’s G1 Renwick Farms Dominion Handicap on Canterbury harness racing’s Show Day at Addington.

“We couldn’t be happier with the horse. He’s working super and he’s in a really good frame of mind,” said Greg Hope who trains in partnership with his wife Nina.

The giant gelding is Canterbury’s favourite trotting son, recently taking over the role from recently retired Sundees Son, (Majestic Son) and if he wins tomorrow there’ll be massive support from the Show Day crowd.

“It’s not just another race. It’s a race we want to win. We were lucky enough to win the race before and it’ll be lovely if we can do it again.”

The Hopes won the Dominion in 2016 with Monbet (Love You) which they also part owned.

Hope says regular blood testing of Muscle Mountain confirms when the horse is well and ready to go.

“We take his bloods and heart rate all the time so with his work and heart rate we can judge how well he is.”

Although the 3200 metre distance of the Dominion can test some horses it won’t worry Muscle Mountain.

“He’s proven over two miles and he only went down by a head to a champion last year, so hopefully he can go one better this year.”

In the trotting feature tomorrow Muscle Mountain will start from the unruly alongside Jimmy Carter (The Pres).

“Ben’s really happy with him going from the unruly. If he’s happy, we’re happy.”

Tomorrow’s run will be Muscle Mountains third in the great race. In 2021 he finished fifth after sitting parked outside Sundees Son for the last lap and last year in a titanic battle down the Addington straight, Muscle Mountain got within a head of Sundees Son to finish second.

The Hopes have two other runners in tomorrow’s race. Eurokash (Love You) will be handled by Ricky May and Midnight Dash (Muscle Hill) will be running in his fourth Dominion. He finished sixth last year, sixth in 2021 and fifth in 2020.

Akuta (Bettor’s Delight) didn’t achieve the win in the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup on Tuesday for the late Ian Dobson. But Greg, Nina and Ben will be hoping Muscle Mountain can do the famous green colours of Dobson proud tomorrow.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink