Butcher confident as Cambridge season gets underway

2025 at Cambridge Raceway gets underway today, with local harness racing trainer-driver David Butcher confident his runners can feature.

“They’re all fit and most have been racing well although they are in pretty level fields today, so it won’t be easy for any of them,” says Butcher.

The first of the Butcher-trained runners is You Little Beauty in Race 3, the Hire A Venue At Cambridge Raceway Mobile Pace over 1700 metres for Fillies and Mares.

The Sweet Lou mare has done the bulk of her recent racing at Auckland and most recently finished third in the Listed Magness Benrow Sires Stakes Fillies and Mares Classic on New Years Eve. It was a tough performance with the mare sitting parked throughout the 1700 metre race before dropping to the fence when space opened up on the home turn and taking the passing lane, holding on to finish an honest third and only 1.7 lengths from the winner Treacherous Gall.

“I think Mhai Surfer Girl and Joes Rock will be the toughest ones to beat today,” says Butcher, “but she’s had a fair bit of racing and she’s fit, happy and ready to go, although I don’t think she’s quite as good left handed but she’s a tough mare and definitely a place chance.”

In Race 7, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Mobile Pace, Butcher starts Louezyana (Sweet Lou) who has drawn seven over 1700 metres.

“He’s been racing pretty good and while it appears to be a drop back in grade it’s still a pretty decent field with some handy horses that are on a level mark,” says Butcher, “I’ll be hoping for a top two finish, but it will really come down to the run he gets.”

Louezyana is another who has primarily raced at Auckland having only raced at Cambridge on one occasion. The Sweet Lou gelding finished seventh at Alexandra Park on New Years Eve but was only 3.7 lengths from the race winner Invisible, and the start prior was only 3.4 lengths from Golden Gait winner Rough And Ready when finishing fourth after being three wide over the final 800 metres sustaining a solid run home.

Of his outside drives, Butcher thinks both Rise To The Occasion (R1) and Barbarossa (R6) are also solid place chances.

Rise To The Occasion is trained by Warren Rich at Morrinsville and starts fresh up from a spell tonight and has a creditable record of seven placings from his nine race day starts.

“Ben (Butcher) usually drives this horse so I’m just the fill in driver but he’s got to be a chance and usually does everything right so I think he’s capable of being in the top three,” says Butcher, “Barbarossa is one that is racing good at the moment and he’s a place chance if they go hard.”

The Captaintreacherous gelding is trained by Butcher’s son Ben and starts from barrier nine in tonight’s event. Butcher also trains and drives Mary Lou (R4) and drives Dragonstone (R5) for trainer Arna Donnelly, and Sonsofthemerch (R8) for trainer Tim Hall.

Racing gets underway today at 5.47pm.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Brigette Solomon, for Harness Racing New Zealand