The New Zealand Trotting Cup dream is very much still alive for Moonrock.
Despite being the lowest graded pacer in the Cup nominations as just a C3, Michael House still intends on pushing toward the November feature should his exciting pacer do enough to work his way into the final line-up.
The first step toward that came at Addington on Friday night when the four-year-old made light work of his resumption with an effortless victory against a handy field of intermediate grade pacers.
But the real test will come next Monday when House heads to Kaikoura to tackle the New Zealand Yearling Sales Aged Pace.
“I reckon we might be about emergency two for the Cup after that win,” House said.
“But if we can win at Kaikoura next week, which I’m sure he is good enough to do then we may just work our way into the field.”
House is fully aware that there has been more than the one raised eyebrow in his direction with his intention to start in the Cup, but at the end of the day he doesn’t really care what other people think.
And he’s always been one for doing something a little bit outside of the square.
He was the man who 12 months ago started Franco Nelson in the Cup off the back of a solitary Ashburton workout – only for the horse to run a cracking fourth.
And now there’s Moonrock.
“It’s the New Zealand Trotting Cup, our best race, why wouldn’t I want to have my best horse racing in it?” House said.
“Sure he’s not as qualified as some of those that he’s racing, but the Cup isn’t what it used to be.
“It’s just another race on another day at Addington and if you’ve got a horse who you think is good enough to be competitive, why not have a crack.
“I looked at the potential nominations and decided that I didn’t think it was going to be a full field come Cup Day so we chucked him in.”
A $40,000 purchase at the Australasian Classic Yearling Sale in 2014, Moonrock is a half-brother to Miss Moonlite and also Major Change and he caught House’s eye very early on.
“I thought he was one of the standout Rocknroll Hanover’s of that sale and I was very keen to get my hands on him.
“Then right from day one he impressed me and has just kept improving.
“He raced well last season as a three-year-old against the good ones and wasn’t that far behind Lazarus in the Derby.
“You would think that in time he would develop into a nice horse. But I’m living for the now and not the future.
“Anything could happen to me or to the horse so I’m grabbing the bull by the horns and running with it.
“It might come back to bite me in the bum, but I’d rather try than not try at all.”
Dexter Dunn handled the driving duties of Moonrock last night and will also reunite with him on the second of two day’s racing at Kaikoura next Monday.
Matt Markham