Racing: Stylish Monarch smashes record

Ricky May steers Stylish Monarch to an upset win in the $200,000 Dominion Handicap at Addington yesterday. Photo / Simon Baker

"This is one for the little guys."

That was trainer Murray Tapper's summation after Stylish Monarch smashed the national record and our best trotters in the $200,000 Dominion Handicap at Addington yesterday.

Small-time trainer Tapper achieved the biggest thrill of his career when Stylish Monarch came from three back on the markers with a typically perfect Ricky May drive to grab I Can Doosit and The Fat Controller in the 3200m thriller.

That gave May the two classic staying races of the week after his New Zealand Cup win but for Tapper winning at the highest level is a relatively new experience.

He has only been training fulltime for five years, before that working in the freezing works.

But yesterday he was able to down our elite trainers of trotters - Mark Purdon, Phil Williamson, Tony Herlihy and Paul Nairn among them.

"To best those guys is a real bonus, they are great trainers," said Tapper.

"For a guy like me, who still only trains 14 horses, it is a thrill because it is one for the small guys."

Tapper better get used to playing in the big time though because May is tipping Stylish Monarch as one of the best trotters he has driven.

"I've been lucky enough to drive some good trotters but he is just perfect," said the King of Addington.

"He has great manners, speed and can stay."

Stylish Monarch left no room for argument about that yesterday as he obliterated the national 3200m record with his 4min 2.9sec clocking, which was a remarkable 2.4 seconds inside the previous record set by La Coocaracha in the Rowe Cup.

Punters got $13.70 for the win

Stylish Monarch will now head to Alexandra Park himself over the summer, the track where he finished second to Sundon's Gift in the Rowe Cup last season.

"There are some great races up there and he handled it well last time so we will be back." And then he has the Interdominions on his home track in March and April.

While Stylish Monarch's time left little room for excuses the performance of I Can Doosit in second was enormous and he is emerging as potentially the next great trotter from this country.

He settled well back, improved three wide and then sat parked so to trot 4:2, on the back of just two starts this preparation, was phenomenal.

That race was robbed of some depth inside the last 800m when a tangle back in the field saw Ima Gold Digger gallop and check among others Idid It Myway.