History Created: Monkey King became the first horse to win consecutive NZ Cup / FFA features
History was created at Addington this afternoon.
Champion pacer Monkey King re-wrote the record books by becoming the first horse to win consecutive New Zealand Cups and NZ Free-For-All’s.
Whilst Harold Logan and Lordship were successful winning the double, neither pacer was able to complete the consecutive double.
Monkey King, with Ricky May at the controls started as a firm favourite for the 2000m mobile feature.
With outsider Bondy shooting to the early lead, May allowed Monkey King to cruise to the lead with 1500m remaining.
Australian representative Smoken Up surged around the field shortly afterwards to race on the outside of Monkey King with Bondy in the trail.
Monkey King strolled through the first half in 60.8 seconds with quarters of 30.8 and 30 seconds.
Approaching the home turn, May sat quietly with the third quarter posted in 29.2 seconds.
Smoken Up was under pressure whilst Power Of Tara, Smiling Shard and Stunin Cullen all making their runs together deeper on the track.
Monkey King turned the afterburners on as he charged up the running of the long Addington home straight giving his loyal supporters plenty to cheer.
At the finish, Monkey King held Bondy by ¾ of a length whilst Smoken Up battled strongly to hold third from Power Of Tara and Smiling Shard.
The final quarter was timed in 26.7 seconds.
The milerate for the 2000m was posted in 1.55.6.
Naturally, May was full of praise for New Zealand’s richest standardbred of all time.
“He can do it anywhere, on the lead, working or coming from behind,”
“He’s such a great horse, he loafed today and I had to rein him up when Smoken Up was racing on our outside but he felt great getting up the straight.”
The victory of Monkey King capped a great day for May who also won the Gr.1 $200,000 Hellers Dominion with a patient drive aboard the Murray Tapper trained Stylish Monarch.
Monkey King is trained by Brendon ‘Benny’ Hill for Robert Famularo’s Cavalla Bloodstock.
Monkey King will next start in the Gr.1 $500,000 SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile at Menangle on November 27.
