A bob each way

Canterbury harness racing driver Bob Butt reckons he’s got a couple of options when leaving the mobile with Bet N Win (What The Hill) in tomorrow night’s $600,000 The TAB Trot at Cambridge.

Bet N Win has drawn the inside of the second row with all his opposition in front of him.

Butt says without giving anything away, it’s not a priority to get off the inside running line.

“The fence can be a really good place to be in these sorts of races. I’ve got a couple of options and I’ll see what happens in front of me early. We just have to hope they go hard which they do in these sorts of races,” he said.

Stakes wise, tomorrow night’s feature will be the biggest trotting race that Butt has driven in.

“Definitely. I’ve driven in Dominions and Rowe Cups. It’s the richest trot race in the Southern Hemisphere and for most drivers it’ll be the richest trot they’ve been in.”

So does that add to the pressure?

“No not at all. These are the races you want to be in so it’s more exciting than anything.”

The David and Stacey White trained five year old raced in last Friday’s Waikato Trotting Flying Mile, finishing third 2.8 lengths behind the winner Oscar Bonavena.

“I was rapt with his run. I just wasn’t happy with the way he trotted. He didn’t seem to handle the track all that well. We’ve had that run on the track now and had a look around. David and Stacey let me know yesterday that they’re really happy with him so I’m sure he’ll be a lot better for that run. When Oscar put the pace on my fella just got a bit loose in his gait. Once he balanced up I was really happy with his last 100 metres.”

There’s been plenty of talk around scenarios and strategies in the lead up to the feature.

“It makes it exciting for the race doesn’t it.”

Bet N Win is still the ‘new kid on the block’ having only twenty starts.

“In all these races he’ll just keep getting better and better. He’ll harden up in this company and hopefully be racing in this company for the next three or four years.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink