Big few days for Bruce Hutton at Addington

Greendale harness racing trainer Bruce Hutton had a very successful couple of days at Addington Raceway over the weekend, lining up two runners for two victories.

Whyamihere and driver Jim Curtin took out the Gold Band Taxis Harness 5000 Series (Final) in emphatic style on Friday. It was the three-year-old Sky Major gelding’s second win in just three starts.

“He’s a really nice horse. He’s Australian owned by John Durston and his wife. He’s doing a great job at the moment,” says Hutton.

“It’s a bit tricky now because he now drops into the better grade of horses, but he’s not that experienced yet. So I’ll have a yarn to the owners and see but he’ll be having a week off now then go somewhere else.”

Capping off the weekend was Apatchofgold’s success in the Mike (Got A Bit On) Palermo Pace, also with driver Jim Curtin on Sunday.

Apatchofgold made a fast beginning to lead from the 2000m stand. Curtin initially handed up, but then angled out and around to regain the lead in a confident move. On the corner Apatchofgold was being urged along to go up a few gears and was meanwhile temporarily headed by Melton Magnate before tenaciously fighting back to win by half a head at the line.

“She’s an eftpos card. I actually broke her in as a weanling, sent her to Bruce Negus and then she came back to me,” says Hutton.

“She’ll have a few days off then line up back here probably on a Friday because she’ll be out of the Sunday grade now.”

Apatchofgold, the six-year-old Racing Hill mare, has now won six from 83, with 18 placings and total stakes just shy of $80,000. She is raced by Hutton along with Derek Newton.

“I’ve got a couple of nice young ones there. We have another nice Sky Major filly who bowls around good, and a Downbytheseaside two-year-old out of Invisible Girl who I’m rapt with.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Mike Love, for Harness Racing New Zealand