Superstar trotter claims 2nd G1 victory in NZ Trotting FFA

Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) picked up the second Group One of his budding harness racing career when winning the $100,000 G1 New Zealand Trotting Free For All this afternoon (Dec. 4) on Grand Prix Day at Addington Raceway.

If there was ever a race that was tailor-made for G1 glory this season, on paper, this looked to be it for the brilliant Greg & Nina Hope trainee.

Without the likes of Sundees Son and Bolt For Brilliance, Muscle Mountain and Ben Hope were licking their chops, having received barrier one behind the mobile when the fields were released on Tuesday afternoon.

With blazing gate speed and the short course distance to suit, it was going to take an extraordinary performance to beat him, and instead, Muscle Mountain gave the Addington faithful one of his own, scorching the earth for another New Zealand record victory.

Safely away from barrier one, Hope held out the charge from Majestic Man (Majestic Son) wide out on the gate, and from there proceeded to find an awesome rhythm, dictating the tempo and running the opposition ragged in the sprint home.

MUSCLE MOUNTAIN REPLAY

“His work after the Dominion had been superb, he had a couple of days off after it, and he came back in looking awesome,” said Ben Hope post-race.

“He’s been looking phenomenal, and he’s been training phenomenal and while there are no certainties in racing, I knew it would take a special horse to beat him over the sprint distance.

“In my opinion he was the best horse in the race, and I had to drive him like it. With his gate speed it was always where we wanted to be out in front.

“Ian and Janice have shown a lot of faith in me, so it was great to reward them with another Group One win. Monbet won it twice and was obviously a special horse, but so is this guy,” he said.

Time Up The Hill (Muscle Hill) went one of the best races of her career to add some G1 black type to her future broodmare CV in second while Majestic Man showed why he is one of the best to ever do it over the sprint distance racking up another G1 placing in third.

Muscle Mountain’s winning time of 2:22.9 shaved a full second off the all comers NZ Record for the 1980m mobile.

“The times they had been going in all the other races, you knew the track was in good order. With this guy, you never feel like you are going a great time, but with the way the track and conditions were, I knew it would be a quick time.

“He’s an elite sprinter and I don’t think there are many horses who can beat him over the short course distance,” said Ben Hope.

Muscle Mountain also provided winning owner, Ian Dobson, with his third Group One win on Grand Prix Day having taken out earlier features with Don’t Stop Dreaming and Akuta.

For complete Grand Prix Day results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink