Old bull and young bull on collision course

QUALITY stablemates Tough Monarch and Watts Up Majestic are on a collision course.

Thanks to their victories at Club Menangle during the weekend, the Rickie Alchin-trained trotters will head to Queensland for next week’s Group One.

In what shapes as an old bull versus young bull scenario, Tough Monarch and Watts Up Majestic will contest the Queensland Trotters’ Cup.

It will be the first time the pair will clash.

“I’m heading back to Queensland and they’ll both come with me,” Alchin said. “They showed on Saturday night they are in good order and will be hard to beat in anything they contest.

“The Cup is the main aim with them.”

With Alchin in the cart Watts Up Majestic captured his second Group One by proving too good in a Foundation Final.

After being settled towards the tail of the field from the outside of the front row, Watts Up Majestic sustained a strong sprint along the back straight to score by two-and-a-half metres from On Advice.

Sunny Gee was two metres away third.

“I was pretty confident with him and he performed to expectation,” Alchin said. “That was his first run in six weeks so he will certainly benefit from it.”

Taking his record to 11 wins and 11 placings from 32 starts, the son of Majestic Son covered the mile in 1:56, with his time only a tenth of a second slower than Tough Monarch.

Also driven by Alchin, the 10-year-old worked to the lead from barrier 10 before accounting for Rave On Hall and Aldebaran Ursula.

“He hadn’t raced for months and felt terrific,” Alchin said. “The break has done him the world of good and he’ll be a lot better for this run.”