Butcher eyes Aussie prize

Quality harness racing mare Mantra Blue (Sweet Lou) has started fast work in preparation for some possible big targets later in the season.

She was purchased unraced from Pukekohe trainer Wayne Fausett by Lynette Philpott in July of last year when Philpott sold her trotter Call Me Trouble (Superfast Stuart) to Australia.

Mantra Blue won her first four starts before going down to Millwood Nike (Captaintreacherous) in the G1 Nevele R Filles Final. She was disqualified in her next start, after galloping.

She last raced at Addington in December where she was beaten by a nose by Aardiebytheseaside (Downbytheseaside) in the G1 New Zealand Pacing Oaks.

Mantra Blue was last sited at the Pukekohe Workouts in March but hasn’t been seen since.

“We were trying to get her to Sydney for the Queen Elizabeth, but she ended up having a bit of a virus and one thing lead to another which wasn’t ideal, so we just backed off her for two or three weeks, tipped her out in the paddock, gave her some medication and fed her up,” trainer Zachary Butcher said.

All that is now behind her and Butcher says Mantra Blue is back doing fast work.

“We’ll just bring her down slowly and hopefully she’ll be trialing in the next five to six weeks. She’s grown up a bit but still has that attitude that some fillies can have which I don’t think is a bad thing. She likes to push you around a wee bit.”

As a horseman Zachary says the big thing he’s learned from training Mantra Blue and other horses is that they don’t need as much work as you think they do.

“Leading up to those first couple of runs I didn’t do a lot with her. She was about 80% but just seemed to get better and better with racing. The main aim is that you want them ready for those big ones.”

Butcher says Mantra Blue should be able to handle the transition from age group racing to the rough and tumble of the higher grades and top end mares races.

“She’s such a good follower of speed and she’s so quick that I don’t think it’ll bother her. Obviously you have to harden to that grade because some of those mares have been around for three or four years so they’re tough and ready for it. She’s not going to win races out of turn and she’s going to have to earn her stripes. I think she’s got the ability to do it, it’s just how long it takes.”

Butcher says the plan is to look for a free win junior drivers race before possibly going to Australia.

“We’re in no hurry but all going well it would be great to get her over to Brisbane. Lynette is keen to have a crack at it. The bigger stage is where you want to be. It’ll come down to the horse and if she’s not up to it we’ll put that on the backburner and wait until the end of the year and those big mares races.”    

The main Australian target for Mantra Blue will be the $150,000 The Golden Girl at Albion Park on 20^th July over 1660 metres.

“Obviously you’ll have Manhattan and Aardie’s Express and horses like that going. It’ll be a really big teller. It’ll be good to get three or four races into her in New Zealand before we decide to go. She’s going to have to be ready enough to attack them because those horses are very fit and running quick times. Hopefully we can have those runs under our belts before we make any decisions.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink