By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk
Dating back to the first race in 1908 no horse has a better record in the Group 1 Fred Shaw Memorial New Zealand Trotting Championships than Muscle Mountain.
Heading into Friday’s edition of the race at Addington, the Greg and Nine Hope-trained star is vying for his fourth win in five years, with Sundees Son breaking his winning run with a race record 3:10.4 in 2022. That time is still the New Zealand trotting record (2600m – Mobile).
Muscle Mountain is the only trotter to have won the race three times. Overall he has won 35 from 61 and is currently at $974,884 in career earnings. If he wins on Friday he’ll earn another $55,500, pushing him into millionaire status.
But the eight-year-old is up against it. Drawn on the second row he is a $4.50 second favourite with the clear top pick being rising star Bet N Win ($1.50).
Muscle Mountain will be one of three Hope runners in the feature along with Midnight Dash ($15) and Mr Love ($61). Midnight Dash will be driven by Ricky May. He has won the Championship a record six times, jointly held with Bob Young from 1947 to 1969.
There have been a few two-time winners of the race including back-to-back winners Speeding Spur (2018-2019), Stylish Monarch (2010-11), David Moss (1993 – 94), Nigel Craig (1977-78), Gold Horizon (1952-53) and Aerial Scott (1947-48).
One of the most memorable races was in 1984 when Basil Dean, driven by Kerry O’Reilly, produced one of the great trotting performances in this country. He cut out the 2600 metres in a then world record 3:15.3. It broke his own national record by nearly five seconds and was also faster than the New Zealand pacers’ record at the time. That was 3:15.4 held jointly by Steel Jaw and Bonnie’s Chance.
Īnitially the race was held over 3200 metres but changed to 2600 metres in 1977. It has had various names over the years including the NZ Hambletonian Handicap from 1950 to 1965. There were no races in 1938 and 1951, with it being held twice in 1951. Interestingly a trotter called Lazarus won the race in 1925. According to HRNZ records he won six from 35 starts.
Friday’s Fred Shaw Memorial NZ Championships will go at 8.24pm
To place a bet on the race click here
$1m barrier close too for Queen Elida
By Adam Hamilton
Star Kiwi-bred trotting mare Queen Elida will return home to chase some history.
The Brent Lilley-trained seven-year-old is on the verge of becoming just the second trotting mare in Australasian history to top $A1 million in prize money.
But an even bigger target awaits.
Queen Elida, who will be retired in May, still has the time and opportunities to overtake former Kiwi glamour trotter One Over Kenny ($A1,060,394) as the richest trotting mare of all time.
It would keep the record in the family, so to speak, with Queen Elida’s granddam, Nice One Kenny, being a sister to One Over Kenny.
So far, Queen Elida’s 82 starts have netted 37 wins, 31 placings and earnings of $A982,295.
She can take that to $A995,020 with victory in the second race at Melton on Saturday night where she is a $2.40 favourite.
A week later Queen Elida will tackle the $60,000 Group 1 Sumthingaboutmaori Mares’ Free-For-All at Melton.
It will be a big surprise if she doesn’t top the $A1 million over the next two weeks.
After the Sumthingaboutmaori, Queen Elida will leave Lilley’s stables for the last time for two major NZ races and then retirement back in NZ.
The first target is the $NZ600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge on April 4, a race Queen Elida ran third in behind Just Believe and Callmethebreeze last year.
Her final race will be the $NZ200,000 Group 1 Rowe Cup at Auckland’s Alexandra Park on May 2.
“She might finish-up the richest (trotting) mare of all-time and it would be fitting. She’s been a star since her juvenile days and taking on the boys in so many of the biggest races,” Lilley said.
“It’ll be a sentimental trip back to NZ with her, knowing we’ll be farewelling her from the stable after so long.”
More immediately, Lilley is brimming with confidence going into Saturday night.
“She hasn’t been the easiest mare to train at times with her feet and, more recently, some steering problems, but we had some vet work done after the (Sydney) Inter Dominion late last year and the signs are great,” he said.
“Chris (Alford, driver) said she felt like the mare of old when she won the other night and she seems great at home.
“This looks a really nice race for her despite the back row and then she gets to take on the girls only the week after.
“The signs are she’ll be going out on top of her game and we’re thrilled about that.”
Queen Elida already boasts seven Group 1 wins, along with thirds in the 2022 and 2023 Inter Dominion finals, along with last year’s third in the TAB Trot.