He’s had a taste of the big time and now Clint Ford can’t wait for more.

One of the real pleasing non-winning stories from Cup Week last week was the step up to the open class ranks of exciting four-year-old trotter, Marcoola, who pushed Dominion Handicap winner, Monbet, close in the Group One New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All on Cup Day.

It was the performance of a horse who looks likely to win his fair share of Group One races in open class company in the future and with Monbet now on the sidelines until the New Year, Ford and Marcoola should be able to strike while the iron is hot.

“I was proud of his performance, you never fully know what to expect when you go from age group racing to open class but this guy has taken to it pretty well,” Ford said.

“He pulled up really well from the run, I couldn’t fault him to be honest. So we will set our sights on Methven.”

The Methven assignment is the Methven Trotters’ Green Mile on December 4 for a stake of $15,000 with a $2,000 bonus up for grabs if the national grass track record over one mile of 1:58.6.

The race was won last year by Monbet and with Ford using last season’s programme for the Horse of the Year for his own horse it’s no surprise to see him heading to the green top in a few weeks.

“We are going to stick to that plan until Christmas and New Year anyway and then take it from there.

“After Cup Week we know that he can do it which is an encouraging sign.”

With Methven out of the way, Ford and his father Ken, who is the official trainer of Marcoola, will have some options.

There’s a Free-For-All at Addington later in December or they can elect to head to Auckland to ready themselves for the National Trot on New Year’s Eve and then the host of other opportunities available there over the holiday period.

Matt Markham