Crossland bullish about award-winning trotter's future

Last year's Vicbred Super Series winner was honoured as Victoria's top four-year trotting colt or entire at last Sunday night's 2021 Victorian Horse of the Year Awards.

It followed an outstanding season for the son of leading trotting sire Muscle Hill out of the mare Abandoned Annie.

Rules Dont Apply won three of six races, highlighted by his victory in the $100,000 Group 1 Vicbred Super Series Final on New Year's Eve and the Elmore Trotters Cup at Bendigo a month and a half earlier.

READ MORE: Crossland celebrates Group One success with star trotter

He also won his heat of the Vicbred Super Series at Melton, 10 days before the final.

Rules Dont Apply has since had four starts as a five-year-old, including a win in his $50,000 heat of the Great Southern Star in February.

He finished ninth in the $300,000 Group 1 final later that night, clearly not suited to the two races in one night format.

A spell after his 10th in the Group 1 Australian Trotting Grand Prix in late February was much-needed and well-earned, according to Crossland, who is taking a patient approach with Rules Dont Apply ahead of his return to racing.

"He's just working back steadily, there's no real plan at the minute," he said.

"I would assume that probably in about six weeks he will be back racing.

"I haven't really got an end-game yet, we'll just see how he comes up."

Crossland said it was a real feather in the horse's cap to be named the four-year-old male trotter of the year.

"He only won the three races, but we didn't want to give him a big year, so we mainly aimed at the back end, he said.

"But it came off.

"His body had had enough by the end (of the Grand Prix), he was looking for the paddock."

Crossland is bullish Rules Dont Apply can consolidate his position among the top echelon of trotters on his return.

"He's at that class now, he is going to be up against the best when he goes around, so he needs to be at his best most times," he said.

"His back issue is never going away, that's something we will have to contend with. But we seem to have that all down pat."

Crossland has only two horses in work, with Inredwhiteandblue - a promising unraced two-year-old - expected to reach the racetrack sometime over the next few months.

2YO Pacing Fillies - Winner: Encipher. Finalists: Amore Vita, Irish Black Label

2YO Pacing Colts and Geldings - Winner: Catch A Wave. Finalists: Heza Son Of Agun, Solesseo Matuca

3YO Pacing Fillies - Winner: Ladies In Red. Finalists: Joanna, Tough Tilly

3YO Pacing Colts and Geldings - Winner: Act Now. Finalists: Bondi Lockdown, Patsbeachstorm

4YO Pacing Mares - Winner: Amazing Dream. Finalists: Maajida, Spellbound

4YO Pacing Entires and Geldings - Winner: Honolua Bay. Finalists: Boots Electric, Mach Dan

5YO and Older Pacing Mares - Winner: Our Princess Tiffany. Finalists: Mona Mia, Tangoingwithsierra

5YO and Older Pacing Entires and Geldings - Winner: Lochinvar Art. Finalists: Max Delight, Wolf Stride

2YO Trotting Fillies - Winner: Just A Bit Touchy. Finalists: Aldebaran Misty, Ebonys Avenger

2YO Trotting Colts and Geldings - Winner: Plymouth Chubb. Finalists: Courage Stride, Lettuce Trot

3YO Trotting Fillies - Winner: Queen Elida. Finalists: Banglez, Keayang Xena

3YO Trotting Colts and Geldings - Winner: Aldebaran Zeus. Finalists: Kyvalley Hotspur, Parisian Artiste

4YO Trotting Mares - Winner: Pink Galahs. Finalists: Im Ready Jet, Queen Of Crime

4YO Trotting Entires and Geldings - Winner: Rules Dont Apply. Finalists: Cover Of Darkness, Powderkeg

5YO and Older Trotting Mares - Winner: Sleepee. Finalists: Aldebaran Crescent, Monaro Maro

5YO and Older Trotting Entires and Geldings - Winner: Maori Law. Finalists: Majestuoso, Tornado Valley

2021 Horse of the Year - Lochinvar Art

State Trainers' Premiership - Emma Stewart

Metropolitan Trainers' Premiership - Emma Stewart

State Drivers' Premiership - Chris Alford

Metropolitan Drivers' Premiership - Kate Gath

Concession Drivers' Premiership - James Herbertson

Woodland Stud Breeder of the Year - Bill and Anne Anderson

Maori's Idol Trotting Championship - Well Defined

Trots Country Cups Championship - Malcolms Rhythm

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