Racing: Monbet gets his trainers' hopes up

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For Greg and Nine Hope, tomorrow is about the next step.

After a huge turnaround in their training fortunes they are now knocking on the door of domestic group one success.

After years of battling around with moderate horses, the Hopes have averaged 53 winners a season for the past three years, including a group one Breeders Crown Trot win in Australia last year.

That only whetted their appetite for more but Greg Hope knows getting a group one race starter is hard enough, winning them an entirely different manner.

"I think Monbet is good enough to win his race [2-year-old trot] and I wouldn't swap him for anything," says Hope.

"But he still has to get past the blue colours with the silver stars, which isn't easy when the big money is up."

That reference is to the fact Monbet was the best early-season juvenile trotter until playing second fiddle once the Purdon-Rasmussen babies got warmed up.

"But I still think he is as good as them and he trialled great last Saturday.

"His blood is the best it has been and if we can get in front of them early he will be the one to beat."

The Hopes' three-strong team has been blessed with good draws, with Helena Jet starting inside Adore Me in race one and Mossdale Conner a chance to lead or trail in the last race.

"Helena is really well but I am not sure if we can beat Adore Me.

"But I know we can't beat her if we lead and hand up to her, so Ricky will have to see what happens early and how she feels."

Mossdale Conner was asked to show rare gate speed in his workout last Saturday and still found the line well, suggesting he is a value each-way option in the last.

"He is spot on and this is his chance," says Hope of the $12 chance.