Bring On The Muscle stunning at Addington

Southland trained Bring On The Muscle (Majestic Son) made a stunning return to the races last night at Addington when he overcame a 45-metre handicap to beat a handy harness racing field of R46 and faster trotters.

After a safe beginning, driver Matty Williamson settled the gelding at the tail of the field as Port Pegasus set up a solid tempo. With a lap to run Bring On The Muscle was still eighteen lengths off the leader, but inside the last lap he got into the outside running line. Heading out of the last bend Williamson got his charge rolling and he started to trot around the field three wide. Just when Major Doosie and George Eliot looked like winners, Bring On The Muscle came over the top to win by a head from George Eliot with another head back to Major Doosie.

BRING ON THE MUSCLE REPLAY

The winning time for the 2600 metres was 3-20 with a mile rate of 2-03.7.

“Terrific run especially being first up. I personally thought it would be too big a task. Forty five metres is a long way with a strong front line. He was travelling real good round the bend but I thought with the chasing he had to do that he might level out halfway down. But no, he just kept finding,” Williamson said.

This was the five year old’s first win at Addington and the first time Williamson has driven the trotter.

Owned by Jackie Barron and trained at Rakauhauka in Southland by her husband Clark, Bring On The Muscle was having his first start since the middle of January and only had one workout prior to heading north.

“It’s the first time in his life we’ve been able to give him a good spell. I said to Jackie that we were going to give him three months off. From two year old racing he’s hardly had a decent spell in three years. The three months off has just been the makings of him. He’s been back in (work) four months to the day,” Clark said.

Barron said Bring On The Muscle didn’t pile on the weight during his lengthy spell.

“We were really lucky. He really thrived, as in matured. He went from a puppy fat kid to a horse.”

Bring On The Muscle was taken north ten days ago and has been stabled at Clark’s brother Ken’s West Melton property.

On paper last night’s task looked to be a tough opener.

“You don’t say it’s impossible, but it’s a hard task. We’ve been pretty happy with him and there have been no races for him (in Southland). But he was obviously very forward so we’re very pleased.”

Last season Bring On The Muscle was the victim of his own success and had to constantly overcome long handicaps while racing in the south.

“It was frying his brain a bit. He’s just such a runner who likes to run and he wouldn’t settle. He’s been very good this time in.”

Bring On The Muscle will stay in Canterbury and will be aimed at the $25,000 Basil Dean in twenty days.

“There are no races for him down here. Our plan was to give him two or three races, bring him back here then go back to Cup Week. He’ll have to race all the guns now but that’s where he’s at and we have to try it.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink