Butt buzzing after a big day at the sales

“It was just like a dream. Even now I don’t know whether it’s really sunk in. Every year the sales come round and you wish and dream that you can go and buy. I can’t believe I’ve been lucky enough that I can go and do it really,” Kimberly Butt said after she and her partner Jonny Cox purchased three high end yearlings at yesterday’s NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales in Christchurch.

Butt’s bids were good enough to get a full brother to multiple Group One winner Akuta for $130,000, a Captaintreacherous colt out of Cullens Bet for $80,000 and they paid $140,000 for a Captaintreacherous filly out of Elusive Chick.

“We’ve been lucky over the years to have had some really nice horses but nothing that was bought for this sort of money and so well bred. It wasn’t like our normal business model.”

The three horses were purchased on behalf of Australian businessman Joshua Davine under the N40 Racing banner.

Captaintreacherous – Cullens Bet colt (Photo Supplied)

Kimberly was introduced to Davine by friends and their friendship has grown.

“Dave White and Matthew Peden were friends with him as teenagers in Aussie. When David first moved to New Zealand we got to know Matt and Josh. Matt’s moved over here and become a really good friend of ours. He’s (Davine) also friends with Carter (Dalgety) and N40 have Carter in the Ultimate Drivers Championship this weekend. Josh has had wee shares in some of our horses. He’s done pretty well for himself and he decided to go a bit harder with his involvement (in harness racing) in New Zealand.”

She said the plan was hatched to buy some young stock when the Next Gen concept was launched into the market.

“Being a non-win Group One winning trainer made any horse available to Josh a prospect for Next Gen. It snowballed from there really.”

Kimberly said Davine went through the Sales Catalogue and marked potential candidates.

“Josh and some of his connections earmarked twenty. Jonny and I did that as well. We cross referenced them and Jonny and I went and had a look at the ones he’d marked down on inspection day.”

From there, yearlings were highlighted and a budget was set.

“The original plan was to have a budget and see how the day played out. It could have been one at a big price or two at lower prices. We got one of the one’s we wanted early on and that was where our budget was at, so I thought we were done. Then he rang back a couple of more times and got keen so we kept going (laughter).”

Kimberly said both parties had the Captaintreacherous filly out of Elusive Chick high on their priority list.

“She was one I really liked and I thought we could get within our budget. The full brother to Akuta was stunning as well but I told Josh I didn’t think we’d get him. To get him for under $150,000 we were rapt.”

Butt said the three horses will stay in New Zealand, be broken in and stay on to race as two year olds and she will train the trio.

“With the Next Gen bonuses in mind, all going to plan we’ll have a good crack at them. If they’re doing well here, they’ll stay But if they reach their mark he’s setting up some people in Australia. So he’s got options to take them over there as well.”

The two colts are at the couple’s property at present, chilling out after a busy few months of education and regular grooming.

“Derek Jones is going to look after the filly for us for a couple of weeks. He prepared her and she mated up with his other ones. We’re just working out logistics of where and when they’re going to get broken in. We only planned on having one and now we’ve got three (laughter).”

Kimberly is a member of the well respected Butt family. Her father Anthony carved out a very successful career in New Zealand before moving to Australia.

“He was pretty quick to text last night and said ‘did you have a bit of a spend up?’ He thought it was pretty funny, but very cool.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink