Massive Metro takes out National Trot

The Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett trained Massive Metro announced his arrival on the Open Class scene with an impressive, record breaking win in the Group 1 Sims Pacific Metals National Trot (2,700m) at Alexandra Park on New Year's Eve.

Having worked to the lead with a mile to go, the 5-year-old son of Muscle Mass handed up to the race favourite Marcoola with 800m to run and then proved too strong for the Dominion Handicap winner in the straight, storming home up the inside to win by two lengths at the line, with a further four back to the third placed horse, The Almighty Johnson. (Watch replay here.)

Massive Metro's time of 3:21.1 (a mile rate of 1:59.8) for the 2,700m was a new national record for a trotting entire or gelding, slicing 0.2 of a second of Stig's previous mark.

The winner of the Uncut Gems Aged Trotting Classic at the end of last season, Massive Metro has now won eight races and $135,826 in stakes.

In winning the National Trot, Massive Metro also emulated his Safely Kept dam, Paris Metro, who won the race herself 14 years earlier, also for trainer Michelle Wallis.