For much of his career, Monkey King’s speed has been his greatest weapon.  But in last Friday’s $500,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup, it was the great horse’s heart which got him home.  The little pacer needed every inch of resolve he could muster in the last 100 metres, firstly to claw past stablemate Baileys Dream and then to hold out speedster Tintin In America.
At the line Monkey King had managed to do both and added Alexandra Park’s biggest open class race to his New Zealand Cup, Free-For-All and Miracle Mile victories of this season.
But this was far different, far braver from Monkey King.

Those first three feature race successes came after he sat off a hot tempo and blew his rivals away, a triumph of leg speed and driving nous.  On Friay he had to dig deep, as this was clearly not Monkey King at his best after an arduous Inter-Dominion campaign.  That listlessness was why driver Ricky May was so happy to hand the early lead to Bondy and take the trail, knowing Monkey was not at his sharpest.  And it was also why May felt almost guilty having to urge Monkey King on with the whip in the last 200 metres, which is why the gelding thrust his head to the side in the shadows of the post.  “He has really had enough,” said May.

We more or less knew that before the race, and it was a great job by Benny (Hill, trainer) to get him here at all.  “He still felt alright but definitely not up to his best, and that is why I drove him the way I did.  “To be honest, I think with any other sort of run he couldn’t have won.”  Horses winning the NZ Cup, Free-For-All, Miracle Mile and Auckland Cup in the same season are not rare, with Christopher Vance, Christian Cullen and Master Mood having all achieved it.
But in those days the four races were closer together, whereas Monkey King has had to hold dominant form for a long period of time.

And he has had to also overcome the Auckland Cup coming just five days after the Inter-Dominions in Sydney, where he was such a brave second.  He will now head to the spelling paddock having won nearly $1.8 million for the season, and with the promise of so much more to come.  Monkey King has clearly been a better horse this season than last, and being by Sands A Flyin there is no reason to expect he can’t be at least as good again next season.
And of course he won’t have to worry about some of the big names from this season, namely Auckland Reactor, Changeover and probably Mr Feelgood.

So he looks well on track to become our first  ever $4 million-earning pacer, being just one more decent win away from breaking the $3 million mark. Not only will he not race from a handicap in the New Zealand Cup, but he is a certainty to be invited to defend his Miracle Mile title, and of course the Inter-Dominions will be at home in Christchurch.  “I am looking forward to that,” said Hill.

“It was a great experience this season to take him to the Inters in Sydney, but it obviously suits us having them just down the road next year.”  Hill is understandably thrilled with Monkey King’s season, but immediately after the race last Friday he was basking just as much in the afterglow of Baileys Dream’s performance for third.  “I got a real thrill out of Bailey’s run because we didn’t see the best of him at the Inters in Sydney.  “So for him to come back and race like that capped a great week for us.”  Baileys Dream will more than likely race on for the Easter Cup in a few weeks, with stablemate Tennis Ball, who also won last Friday night, likely to join him.  Victory for either would cement an incredible season for Hill, but regardless of what happens between now and July 31 this will forever be the season of the Monkey.