Whats Up The Hill, centre, beating Hillbilly, outer, and Happy Hill at Auckland in April. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.
Ray reaches for the half hopples to keep Whats Up The Hill trotting at Cambridge on Thursday
By Barry Lichter • 7 October 2025
Co-trainer Ray Green is hoping half hopples will turn Whats Up The Hill from a galloper to a winner at Cambridge on Thursday night.
The well bred three-year-old attracted plenty of support, starting second favourite last week in his first start for four and a half months, but he blew his chance when leading 350 metres from home.
“That’s actually the first time he’s galloped,” Green said. “In the past he’s switched into a pace.”
The What The Hill gelding has obviously inherited that habit from his dam Escapee but Green says, while capable, he’s no superstar like the filly who dominated in 2012, winning the NZ Trotting Oaks, NZ Trotting Derby and Northern Trotting Derby.
“He can do it, though mentally he’s not quite there yet. He gets himself into a state.
“But he’s not racing a stellar bunch. He’s just got to get round.
“We’re trying half hopples on him this time. He’s been pretty good in training with them but training is training and racing is racing so we’ll see what happens.”
Driver Peter Ferguson reported Whats Up The Hill raced keenly throughout his resumption which hindered his performance. But he was hardly gifted the ideal run, starting from the back mark of 20 metres, having to go wide round the first turn to avoid a breaker, then getting no cover when mooching up to park, before eventually taking the lead 600 metres from home.
With another safe beginning from three on the front line on Thursday, he should get things a lot easier.
“It will be fascinating to see what he does but we’ll keep poking him out there ’til he does it right.”
Green is confident of another good run from the stable’s only other runner, Lincoln La Moose, who starts from two in the fourth race.
The four-year-old could not have been more impressive in his fresh-up win at Cambridge, turning on a withering burst to make up a four to five length leeway on Always B Charlie in the run home.
“They went hard, hence the time of 2:40 flat, and that in itself helped him - he didn’t have to spend a penny until the last bit.
“The biggest problem we’ve had in the past with him was over-racing but we seem to have got on top of that.”
Green suspects Fergie might be able to drop straight into the trail behind Always B Charlie on Thursday night.
“His driver, Sailesh Abernethy, likes the front end and he’s ruthless about not handing up.
“Hopefully our horse goes as well again.”
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
