Hillbilly Blues Remains In Tune At Cambridge

Hillbilly Blues (NZ) (What The Hill) continued his meteoric rise at Cambridge Raceway last Friday when winning the Group Three Cambridge Trotters Flying Stakes (2200m).

The victory came just over a week after his breakthrough stakes victory in the Group One Peter Breckon Memorial National Trot (2700m) at Alexandra Park on New Year’s Eve, cementing his place in the top echelon of the northern trotting ranks.

Following that elite-level triumph, punters backed him into a hot $1.60 favourite for the Flying Stakes and former trainer Tony Herlihy was once again in the sulky to do the steering.

The son of What The Hill sat parked early before Herlihy asked the Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett-trained gelding to press forward and take the lead down the back straight. His advantage was short-lived, with veteran trotter Oscar Bonavena (NZ) (Majestic Son) looping the field to wrestle the lead of his younger rival.

Belle Neige (NZ) (Love You) was sent forward from the back at the bell by driver Crystal Hackett to apply pressure outside the leader, and that pressure began to tell as she put her head in front when turning for home. While she looked full of running, Hillbilly Blues took chase up the passing lane and pipped his stablemate at the post to win by a head.
Herlihy thought his charge was in trouble down the straight, but was rapt with the way he closed out the race.

“100m out I thought there is no way I am going to pick her (Belle Neige) up but in that last 50 yards he really dug in and sprinted really quick,” he said.

“We know he has always had ability but he has just got a lot stronger and is just racing great.”

Bred by Woodlands Stud, Hillbilly Blues was purchased by Herlihy out of their 2022 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft at Karaka for $30,000.

The Champion horseman initially trained the gelding, who won on debut for the South Auckland trainer as an early three-year-old before transferring to Wallis and Hackett where Herlihy thought he would benefit from their straightline training on the beach.

That move has proven to be a masterstroke, with Hillbilly Blues having now won nine and placed in nine of his 23 starts, and earned more than $192,000 in prizemoney.

Herlihy is hoping Hillbilly Blues continues on his current trajectory, with a place in the $600,000 TAB Trot (2200m) slot race at Cambridge Raceway on April 10 in the offing.

“If there was a slot available we might take it,” Herlihy quipped.