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Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill), one of the greatest trotters of the modern era, has run his last race. “He’s been unbelievable and I’ll be forever thankful for what he’s done for me. It’s bloody sad to be honest. It’s one of those things when you think ‘don’t be sad it’s the end, just be happy […]
Muscle Mountain’s (Muscle Hill) win in the Fred Shaw New Zealand Trotting Championship at Addington on Friday night is testament to the management strategy put in place by trainers Greg, Nina and Ben Hope for their very talented trotter. MUSCLE MOUNTAIN REPLAY The nine year old is the veteran of seven full seasons of racing, […]
Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) reached remarkable heights this afternoon when he won his fourth Ashburton Trotters Sprint. That sort of record is unheard of in modern day harness racing and is testimony to the horse’s ability and management. “He’s just been a super horse for a long time and testament to Mum (Nina) and Dad […]
The highly successful harness racing team of GP and Mrs N M Hope is officially disbanding. From next Tuesday (April 1), Greg will remain the “frontman” but wife Nina, the country’s most successful female trainer, will be stepping away. In a changing of the guard Ben Hope’s got himself a promotion and will go into […]
Two open class pacers – Macandrew Aviator (Panspacificflight) and The Big Lebowski (Mach Three) have returned to the south. After campaigning in Canterbury for Stephen Boyd, Macandrew Aviator is now in the care of Ascot Park trainer Jeremy Douglas. The eight year old last started in the Hannon Memorial in September, finishing third behind Republican […]
Last Sunday at the Waikouaiti harness racing meeting Greg Hope achieved a major milestone reached by just a few when he became a member of the elite trainers 1000 winners club. “It’s a bit of a relief that we got there. It was one thing I’ve always wanted to do. We’re both thrilled to have […]
Two horses with impeccable records on the grass took out the harness racing features at the Waikouaiti meeting at Oamaru today. Driven by Ben Hope, Homebush Lad (Mach Three) trained by Greg and Nina Hope, got a late run up the passing lane to win the $20,000 Temuka Transport Waikouaiti Pacers Cup. The eleven year […]
On his first visit to the south Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) delivered, impressively winning the $50,000 Group Three Brendan Franks Farrier David Moss Stakes at the Invercargill Harness Racing Club meeting today. Starting off 30 metres, driver Ben Hope soon had the giant trotter in stride, but some way off the pace. Inside the last […]
Southland harness racing fans could be in for a treat on Invercargill Cup Day this year with Greg and Nina Hope contemplating bringing Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) south for the David Moss Stakes. “We might look at Invercargill this year and their big trot in December. If he’s going good we might head to Auckland […]
Co-trainer Greg Hope will be pleased that having owned Krystal Delight (Bettor’s Delight) for just six weeks with co-owner George Hill, she won for them on Wednesday at the Rangiora Harness Racing meeting. Krystal Delight got back, and inside the last 800 was last and under a hold. Driver Ben Hope had to bring her […]
Next Friday’s Renwick Farms Dominion Handicap will unfortunately run without Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill). Co–trainer Greg Hope says although they’ve allowed the bruised leg to come right, he, his wife Nina and son Ben have decided that the 3200 metre race on Cup Day would be too taxing for the seven year old. “We felt […]
Harness racing punters will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Don’t Stop Dreaming (Bettor’s Delight) when he returns to Addington tomorrow to start his tilt at the IRT New Zealand Cup in just over three weeks time. The Mark and Nathan Purdon trained four year old has had two trials since last […]
In tomorrow night’s $40,000 G3 Dancinginthedark M (USA) Canterbury Park Trotting Cup, Oscar Bonavena (Majestic Son) could become the first harness racing horse to win the race three times. Trained by Mark and Nathan Purdon, the eight year old entire resumed at Addington last week where he got back and trotted home nicely for fifth, […]
Old Town Road’s (Bettor’s Delight) career will be reignited next Friday night when his new trainer Bob Butt takes him to Addington. “It’s just a bugger we had that se back but it is what it is. He goes real good fresh and only needs a couple of runs from what John (former trainer John […]
Mr Love (Love You) produced the performance of the day at the Motukarara harness racing meeting today (Sep. 22). Driver Ben Hope got the five year old away well, settling three back on the inside before Eurostyle came around and pushed him back one spot. When the favourite Kyvalley Hotspur came around and took the […]
Oamaru trainer Phil Williamson is currently breaking in six weanling trotters and the harness racing horseman says he’s got three in particular showing potential. The first is an unnamed What The Hill filly out of Sundon mare Yukon Quest making her a half sister to Funky Monkey (17 wins). “She’s a lovely filly and I’m […]
Greg and Nina Hope will be looking to continue their successful weekend today at Addington, following on from their very good trotter Mr Love’s harness racing success on Friday night. Co-trainer Nina Hope believes they have the team to make that happen. Their first chance comes in race 3,the Loburn Sawmill For All Your Firewood […]
Woodend Beach harness racing trainers, Greg and Nina Hope combined for a second consecutive Group Two Anzac Cup with a dominant victory by Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) in tonight’s G2 $53,700 trotting feature at Alexandra Park. The training partnership had won the race last year with a surprise victory for Eurokash (Love You), with Muscle […]
While the harness racing connections of the Australian pacers may have been left rueing a gold old dose of the ‘visitors draws’ at the barrier reveal for Cambridge Raceway’s Night of Champions, the same couldn’t be said for their trotting counterparts. With the Brent Lilley trained ex-pat kiwi Queen Elida being the exception as the […]
Easter Monday will see the final harness racing meeting until the Spring for the Banks Peninsula Trotting Club, which will draw the curtain on a cracking six months of grass track racing with a 10-race programme beginning at 12:25 pm. Having secured his share of the chocolates at Addington on Easter Saturday, an in-form Ben […]
They say harness racing Group Ones are earned and not given, and that was the case in tonight’s Fred Shaw Memorial New Zealand Trotting Championship at Addington Raceway. And despite being forced to do it the hard way, Muscle Mountain was realistically always destined to prosper, even with the added fun of a tactical arm […]
Easter Saturday sees a return of Premiere harness racing at Addington Raceway on Saturday afternoon with the Group One $110,000 Fred Shaw Memorial New Zealand Trotting Championships headlining a strong 11 race programme. The Greg & Nina Hope trained superstar, Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill), is looking to etch his name in the record books and […]
Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) fired a significant warning shot across the Tasman tonight at Addington Raceway with harness racing’s inaugural TAB Trot Slot less than a month away. His co-trainer Greg Hope told Harnesslink followers on Thursday that he was happy with the superstar son of Muscle Hill’s work ahead of tonight’s resumption in the […]
Friday night at Addington Raceway sees the harness racing return of the Greg and Nina Hope-trained superstar square gaiter, Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) where he will have an opportunity to defend his title in the Group Three $40,000 Lamb & Hayward Classic. The four-time Group One winner and holder of five current New Zealand records […]
