Incredible strike rate for Muscle Mass

The lightly raced Youneedabitofmuscle became Muscle Mass's 22nd individual New Zealand 4-year-old winner for the season with an impressive performance at Methven on Sunday afternoon.

The Grant Hunt trained runner worked to the lead from the outside of the second line and comfortably held off his rivals by a length and a quarter at the line in the Fulton Hogan Trot (2,400m).

Bred by Grant and Sharon Hunt, Youneedabitofmuscle is out of their former handy Sundon mare Del's Hoof N It who won seven races and a little over $63,000 in stakes-money in her time on the track.

His win further extended his sire Muscle Mass's impressive strike rate with his only commercial crop of racing age to date, with Youneedabitofmuscle the stallion's 22nd winner from just 28 4-year-old starters this season - which equates to an incredible 79% winners to starters.

The overall stats for this crop are pretty phenomenal in every respect, with Muscle Mass so far leaving 39 qualifiers from 45 registered, live foals, 34 race-day starters and 29 winners. His NZ bred progeny have won more than $900,000 and include the multiple Group 1 winner Custodian and last season's NZ 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year Chevron Express.

Muscle Mass's Australian record is equally as good with the stallion siring 10 winners from 16 live foals (12 starters), including the Redwood Classic winner Illawong Byron and fellow juvenile Group 1 winner Illawong Shimmer. His Australian progeny have won $405,000 in stakes to date.