14 November 2019
Tough Monarch’s connections are hopeful of another strong performance at Addington on Friday afternoon as the 8 year old aims for two Group One’s in the same week.
Managing owner Alex Kay is travelling to Christchurch to watch the $300,000 feature race after watching Tough Monarch win the Trotters Free For All on Tuesday. “I wasn’t so much excited as I was nervous given he was likely to start the favourite, but knowing he’d finally got the good draw we’d been hoping for in a Group One, we knew he would be right amongst it.
“I’ve had great faith in him since he was a four-year-old, and he’d only had 19 starts as a six-year-old. So he was lightly raced but we knew he was very talented” Kay said.
Whilst Kay was kept as up to date as possible with Anthony Butt’s now-famous trip from Sydney to Christchurch, he was delighted to have Butt in the gig for the race. “Anthony was always going to be a good choice of driver for us as he obviously knows the racing very well over there” Kay said of the now Sydney-based driver.
As his record may suggest, it’s taken a lot of time and patience to get Tough Monarch to where he is today but that faith is certainly being repaid now as the gelding prepares for Friday’s standing start from barrier 4 (if emergencies come out). Of the draw Kay said “we’re happy with it (the draw). We don’t mind being a little wider at the start. He’s also improved his manners at the standing start over time which is all-important.”
Tough Monarch is by Monarchy USA out of Tough Tussle NZ who is also owned by Kay and the ownership group. “We nearly stopped breeding from her after Tough Monarch as he had a few challenges breaking in but we’re glad we persisted with him. We have a yearling from her with Rickie (trainer Rickie Alchin) at the moment and she’s progressing nicely and Tough Tussle is now in foal to Muscle Mass.
“I think this will be the last of her foals as she’s done so well over the years. We hope our yearling filly will progress to become our next broodmare” commented Kay on the 19 year old Tough Tussle NZ.
Kay will be at Addington with other connections supporting the only New South Wales runner in the Group One Airpark Canterbury Dominion Trot over 3200m. The race is scheduled for 2:38pm Sydney time.