right place right time

Junior harness racing driver Ben Hope was born into a strong harness racing family. He’s been lucky enough to drive a champion trotter and not many juniors get that opportunity.

The twenty three year old certainly has plenty of harness racing pedigree and remembers getting in the gig with his dad Greg at a young age before being allowed to fly solo.

“I was probably eleven or twelve the first time I drove a horse by myself. The horse was Jason Rulz (Courage Under Fire). He raced in the New Zealand Cup so he was a nice horse to start off with,” Ben said.

Ben’s Grandfather Peter Hope held a training license off and on between 1967 and 2000 training forty six winners during that time.

Braedoon and Loch Rae were his best winners. Braedoon (Noodlum) won the G2 Cardigan Bay Stakes at Hutt Park and the G2 New Zealand Metropolitan Three Year Old Stakes. Loch Rae (Noodlum) won the G2 EF Mercer Mile and G2 New Zealand Standardbred Sires Produce Stakes Final.

Peter Hope was probably best known as one of the owners of champion free legged pacer Robalan (Lumber Dream). He won thirty nine races including the 1974 New Zealand Trotting Cup, three New Zealand FFAs, an Ashburton Flying Stakes and the Easter Cup.

Ben’s mother Nina is a cousin of Ray Sharpe whose best winners as a trainer were Dazzle Eyre (Armbro Invasion) 5 wins and Spirit In My Pocket (Spirit Of Zeus) 6 wins.

His father Greg has trained 108 winners in his own right and 816 in partnership with Nina. As a driver Greg has driven 148 winners.

As a young fellow Ben participated in Kidz Kartz and went through the HRNZ Cadet course.

He progressed to get his junior driver’s license in 2017 and his first win was on the aptly named Benhope Rulz (Courage Under Fire) at Kurow in August 2017.

“He was a real speedy horse. When I was jogging him up and getting ready to race I was pretty excited about his future. He did a good job. He won three of his five starts and was on sold for about $100,000. Richard Dellaca (owner of Benhope Rulz) has been an owner that’s supported me from day dot.”

Benhope Rulz went on to win another twenty three races in Australia and banked $456,500.

Senior reinsman Ricky May has had a major influence on Ben’s driving career.

“He was Mum and Dad’s fulltime driver and he was a great help. And John Dunn has been a person I’ve always looked up to. He’s close by at the beach here so I’ve had quite a bit to do with him.”

Ben’s profile as a junior has certainly been highlighted by champion trotter Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) who’s won twenty eight of his forty three starts, taking away $659,409.00 in stakes.

“He was a colt when he was a yearling and he used to gallop for no reason. So we had to geld him pretty early on but once he was gelded all he wanted to do was trot. As a yearling he gave you the feeling he was going to be a pretty nice horse but you couldn’t predict how good he was going to be.”

Ben vividly remembers driving Muscle Mountain down the beach one day with two other trotting yearlings in the carts with their drivers.

“We’d just worked them all together. They both said how good their ones went. I didn’t say anything but I was thinking ‘I don’t think there’s any way we’ve got three champions.”

Muscle Mountain is due to trial next week and Ben thinks he’s looking better than ever for his resumption.

“It’s scary but I think he’s come back better this preparation and I honestly think he’ll keep improving if we look after him.”

And he reckons that if Muscle Mountain was at his best he’d be competitive anywhere in the world.

“Ian (owner Ian Dobson) likes to see him race at home because he can’t travel like he used to. The Great Southern Star (Australia) next year is a series we’d like to target.”

Hope has just returned home after spending ten weeks at Brent Lilley’s barn in Victoria.

“It was good being away from home. It was different living in another country but Brent and his partner Tracey are both Kiwis and very easy to get along with. They’ve got good staff so it was easy to work there. I’m glad I went over. I love home but it was probably time for me to have a break and I’ve definitely come back refreshed and ready to kick into the summer. I’m really hungry to drive well and hopefully get a few winners.”

Ben has held a training license since 2022 and has trained seven winners from just twenty five starters.

“I do like the training side. I find it’s something you can’t stop thinking about. You’re always wondering about what to do with horses. It’s something that definitely tests your mind and I’d like to get into it as I get a bit older but I probably won’t have a big team for a few years. In a few years time I won’t mind taking over from Mum and Dad hopefully.”

He also has a thirty percent share in a full sister to Muscle Mountain that was purchased for $130,000 at this year’s sale.

“All the early signs are that she will make a racehorse. She’s always going to be a valuable broodmare.”

The as yet unnamed filly, and a full sister to The Ivy League, (Father Patrick) are two yearling trotters showing potential.

“We definitely like both.”

Mossdale Margaret, (Bettor’s Delight) a pacer Ben mentions is worth watching out for qualified at Rangiora recently.

“She’s due to race on Sunday at Rangiora. She’s a filly that we’ve got a bit of time for.”

Freya (Volstead) is a young trotter he says has potential. She’s out of The Earth Moves (Monarchy) which won six and is a half-sister to good performers President Royden (The Pres) and Majestic Hurricane (Majestic Son).

“She looks like a horse that’ll be competitive with the two year old trotters.”

The Dominion Handicap and the Rowe Cup are a couple of races Hope would love to win.

“Driving a horse like Muscle Mountain – they’re the two races. The Dominion is coming up and I’m really looking forward to Show Day.”

In a relatively short time with the support of his parents and the big champ Muscle Mountain, Ben Hope has come a long way.

“I’ve never ever wanted to do anything else.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink