A busy month lays in wait for promising juvenile trotter, Enghien.
And because of that busy schedule, the gelding’s co-trainer Greg Hope is quite happy to take every easy win he can get.
Easy is probably the best word to describe the manner in which the son of Love You dealt to his rivals is today’s PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales Series No.25 2YO Trot – winning by 12 and a half lengths, going close to breaking Sheemon’s national record in the process.
“He just keeps getting better,” Hope, who trains with his wife, Nina, said.
“His gait is improving all the time and he’s developing into quite a rounded tidy racehorse.”
Driven confidently by Ricky May, Enghien worked to find the lead early but looked comfortable once he got there and when asked the question at the 500 metre mark he snuck away and put the race beyond doubt.
“He really seems to enjoy that rolling type of race, he just keeps on going that one speed.
“It’s a little bit like what Monbet could do at the same age really because only a few can do that at this age.”
Enghien will return to Addington next week to tackle the Sires’ Stakes final, meaning a clash with rival Habibi Inta.
Safely through that assignment it’s on to the Harness Jewels and a workout the week before at Cambridge.
“It’s a lot of work for a horse in one month, especially with the travelling he’s got to do to get up North.
“But he had that pretty easy today so hopefully it shouldn’t take too much out of him and we can keep him quite fresh.”
On what has been seen so far it will be Enghien and Habibi Inta who fight for favouritism in the 2YO Ruby.
The pair have looked head and shoulders above the rest of the crop since early on in proceedings.
Raced by Hope and Richard Dellaca, Enghien is another product of the wonderful maternal line of Another Starlet.
Bred by the late Carl Middleton and his wife, Heather, the gelding has a long family line of performers before him and even at this early stage he looks to have the credentials to go on and be the best of them.
The Hopes and May combination were back in business in the very next race when Usain Colt made the most of a dream run in the trail to sneak up the passing lane and win his Super Series Final impressively.
The early double took the Hopes to 49 winners for the season and into a firm third on the trainers’ premiership while May moved into fourth position on the drivers’ title race with 76 wins.
Enghien
HRNZ MEDIA