But breathing has been the big difference between the Field Marshal of 2014-15 and the stunning 2015-16 version which has won eight of his 10 starts this season, including the New Zealand Messenger on Friday and the Taylor Mile one week earlier.
Mosgiel breeder Syd Brown and his wife, Shona, are no strangers to being on top of the harness racing tree.
Foreal (18 wins, $664,800) provided the Browns with some wonderful moments a decade ago, including the 2004 Great Northern Oaks, the New South Wales Oaks later that season, before later running third to Blacks A Fake in the 2007 Globe Derby Interdominions.
But the mare has left them something just as exciting in the form of Field Marshal, her second foal after Madiba Magic, and that has made Field Marshal's success even better for the Browns, who were on course at Alexandra Park for the two moments of group 1 glory.
"It's unbelievable - it's something you dream about, really,'' Brown said yesterday.
"It is special when you breed them and bring them through.''
The Browns weaned the Art Major colt before sending him to Robert Anderson in Christchurch to be broken in.
"To be quite honest, when he came back from being broken in, the comment was ‘you've got a lovely horse with a great nature, but I can't get him to pace'.
"But it was only about two weeks later when he swung into a pace and he became a free-legged pacer from there on in, really.''
Everything was trucking along nicely with trainer Tim Butt when the colt finished third to Follow The Stars in the 2yr-old male pacing of the Breeders Crown in 2014 - except for one thing.
"He was making a little bit of a noise at that time. We got him assessed and they thought it might be a maturity thing and he'd grow out of it,'' Brown said.
Returning as a 3yr-old, he won the group 3 Simpson Memorial at Menangle in January 2015 before the throat problems resurfaced and the noise got worse.
A scope on a treadmill revealed only 20% of his throat was open, with the other 80% covered over by a "fleshy growth'', Brown said.
"You can see why he struggled to get the oxygen when the pressure came on.''
He was operated on successfully, then the 3yr-old was supposed to have two months off, but the Browns and Butt ended up giving him five months.
"We never lined him up until December, we spaced his races, and the rest is history, really.''
The $150,000 4yr-old emerald division at the Harness Jewels on June 4 should suit Field Marshal's attributes perfectly.
"He's just got that very high speed. Tim's said that right from fairly early on that he's the fastest horse over a short distance that he's trained. He's got more acceleration than Stunin Cullen had, which is really saying something.''
Will the Browns be at Cambridge on Queen's Birthday Weekend?
"Too right,'' is the quick reply.
"I'll quote a famous quote of Derek Jones, who said to me it's best you have a party when you lose. That way you get to have more parties.
"Being in the game for so long, you know your time at the top is limited so you've got to enjoy it while you're there.''
My Kiwi Mate, the runner-up to Field Marshal on Friday, has earned a shot at the Harness Jewels after winning the Australian invitation for the 4yr-old male category.
Trainer Craig Demmler has accepted the invitation from Harness Racing New Zealand and My Kiwi Mate will now remain in New Zealand, stabled with Barry Purdon, until the feature group 1 day.
My Kiwi Mate joins Arms Of An Angel and Heza Bromac as confirmed Australian runners for the Jewels.
- Additional reporting The New Zealand Herald
