Terror to Love
Terror To Love is a New Zealand standardbred racehorse. He is best known for being a three-time winner of the New Zealand Trotting Cup, in 2011, 2012 and 2013.[1] He is trained by Graham and Paul Court.
Terror To Love started his racing career as a two-year-old in early 2010, with the Sapling Stakes his only win in six starts that season. As a three-year-old, he won eight races, with highlights including a dead-heat win in the Flying Stakes, and placings in the Northern Derby, New Zealand Derby and 3yo Emerald. These performances convinced connections to be one of few four-year-olds to win the New Zealand Cup.
His campaign for the 2011 New Zealand Cup went well, with a win in the Canterbury Classic and an unlucky fifth in the Ashburton Flying Stakes seeing him start second favourite in the Cup behind Australian champion Smoken Up. In the Cup, he was near last turning into the home straight, but sprinted fast down the outside to catch Smoken Up and win by 3/4 length.
A failed attempt at the Miracle Mile followed the Cup victory, before the horse was spelled before an autumn campaign. His best results in the campaign were wins in the Noel J. Taylor Mile and 4yo Emerald, and second placings in the Auckland Cup and Easter Cup.
The 2012 New Zealand Cup campaign for Terror To Love started with an impressive win in the New Brighton Cup. A narrow second in the Canterbury Classic and an easy win in the Ashburton Flying Stakes followed, which saw the horse start a short-priced favourite in the Cup. In the Cup, he moved outside the leader with a lap to go, before driver Ricky May elected to hand up to other runners, putting him three-back. However, like the previous year he sprinted too fast for the opposition, winning again by 3/4 length. He then contested the New Zealand Free-For-All three days later, finishing in third place.
Resuming racing in January 2013, Terror To Love won three straight races, including a heat of the Interdominion series at Auckland. He finished fourth behind I'm Themightyquinn in the Interdominion Grand Final at Menangle, before running second behind the same horse in the Auckland Cup. The remainder of his five-year-old campaign produced wins in the Easter Cup and Five Year-Old Emerald, as well as a second placing in the Miracle Mile. Those results earned him the title of New Zealand Harness Horse Of The Year.