Monarch is Dominion-bound

By Adam Hamilton

LATE-BLOOMING Aussie trotter Tough Monarch is bound for New Zealand.

Delighted trainer Rickie Alchin said he had weighed everything up after the eight-year-old’s sparkling Melton win last Saturday night.

“I’ve had Cup Week over there in the back of my mind for a while, but I used those 10 days and two good races down in Melbourne as a real test for him,” he said. “He won them both so well, so he sort of made the decision for me.

“The Dominion will be his main target, but he’ll run in that good trot on NZ Cup Day as well.

And what about the Auckland Inter Dominion?

“That’s an option, but it’s run the in the other direction so I need to test him out. I’ll speak to Menangle about organizing a trial the Auckland way of going to help me make that decision,” Alchin said.

Tough Monarch has always promised to make a top flight trotter, but needed time.

“We’ve needed to be patient” Alchin said. “Last campaign was the first one he’s got all the way through with some issues. He went out for a spell feeling great.

“He went really well for us during that Melbourne Inter Dominion, but I think I got more out of it than the horse did. He was out on his feet by the final, I think I needed to be easier on him between runs.

“But he’s come back and gone to that next level this campaign.

“I might never get another opportunity with a horse as good as him to go to NZ, so I really should take it now.”

Alchin’s challenge now is mapping out the path towards Addington.

“There’s not a lot of races because I’ll keep him here (Sydney) and won’t go back to Melbourne before NZ,” he said.

“He may just have the one run, but he’ll have a few trials as well.

 “I just need to be able to keep right where he’s at now and I’m sure he’ll be very competitive over there.”