Benny’s big guns ready to kick off campaigns
Matt Markham - Raceform • September 4th, 2025 2:24 PM • 3 min read
Brendon Hill’s bringing his big guns to Addington on Friday night and there’s some major targets in sight for the spring and into summer.
Class four-year-olds Renegade and Arthur Shelby resume from spells in different types of first-up challenges, and there’s very different paths ahead for the pair.
Renegade will be given his chance to earn a spot in the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup on the second Tuesday in November, starting in Friday night’s Avon City Ford New Brighton Cup, while Arthur Shelby lines up in an intermediate grade mobile with one eye pointed directly toward the Gr. 1 Christian Cullen in November.
“It’s exciting to have them back, they’re obviously the two best horses we’ve got at the moment,” Hill told RaceForm.
The hope is that a small exposure to the highest level of racing back in autumn will bode well for Renegade, and Hill isn’t beating around the bush with his intention.
“I’ve told the owners it’s my job to get him into the Cup and this week is the first step.
“Obviously, like every other trainer, we’d love to win this week and get the free pass, but it isn’t the be all and end all. If he is good enough, which I think he is, he’ll get his way there.”
With two good trials under the belt, Renegade comes forward to Friday night in fine fettle. His most recent public appearance was a very pleasing performance.
“I thought it was great. He was spotting Rakero Rocket a bit of distance and I just wanted him to find the line well, but didn’t expect him to run the other one down but he did.
“Bob (driver Bob Butt) came back in and was smiling and couldn’t believe how good he felt doing it, so we’re on the right track.”
With Akuta and We Walk By Faith joining the already race-hardened types like Alta Meteor and Franco Marek, Friday night will be far from easy, but Hill said the $41 offered up initially in the markets was ridiculous.
“With respect to some of the other horses, I couldn’t believe he opened up so long. He's a very, very good horse and I think we’re going to see just how good this time in.”
Arthur Shelby also sits in the very, very good horse category after winning his last four starts before a spell, but the best is still to come.
“He’s come back super. I didn’t tell Seth (Hill, driver) too much about how he’d come up this time, but when he sat behind him, he said he could tell straight away.
“We’ve got some nice options for him later on, like the Christian Cullen, but he’s also eligible for the Sales race at Kaikoura, so we’ll let him work his way toward those. He’s a pretty serious horse.”
With that kind of wrap, you’d expect a winning resumption this week. While that may happen, Hill has some reservations despite two excellent trials.
“I would have loved to have drawn two and not one, he’s going to be quicker off the gate this time but still not super quick.
“Like the other horse though, it’s not the be all and end all this week, just a starting point.”
The stable will also be represented by two-year-old filly Cath, who ran a great third on debut at Ashburton on Sunday.
“She’s a filly I’ve got a bit of time for and one who will be a really nice three-year-old. We weren’t really sure what to do with her, but this race popped up and I don’t think she’ll disgrace herself despite being the outsider of the field from the good draw.”
Hill’s son Seth will drive both Cath and Arthur Shelby, while Butt has aligned himself to Renegade for the Cup campaign.
