Butt quartet looking for some luck at Ashburton

Woodend Beach horseman Bob Butt has well and truly announced his arrival as one of the stars of New Zealand harness racing.

2022 saw the ‘chip off the old block’ rise from being a young talent to one of the of the country’s premiere trainers in the blink of an eye.

Butt’s 49 winners last season were good enough for sixth on the training premiership, and with a UDR of .3296, only the Telfer and All-Star Barns had a better strike rate among stables to have lined up 200+ starters.

While he may not have his ‘a’ team with him heading south down State Highway One to the Ashburton Trotting Club meeting tomorrow afternoon, punters have come to respect the colours of one R J Butt.

The first of the Butt quartet on the 11-race programme is a daughter of Betterthancheddar in Betterthandiva.

The four-year-old will be having her third run of this campaign with her prior two starts coming on the grass at Motukarara for an eighth and fourth respectively.

She lines up in the sixth on the card in the junior driver’s heat drawn in barrier six over the 2400m where she will be partnered by Devon Van Till.

“I was wrapped with her run the other day. She is improving with each run, but there might be a couple of others in there that are a bit sharp for her tomorrow. Hopefully she is running home and could get a bit of place money with a bit of luck.

“She is a handy mare in that sort of grade and no star, but she never runs a bad race, and just puts out an honest performance every time she lines up,” he said.

Race seven sees a son of Dream Vacation in Unico Vacanza line up from barrier one from a stand over 2400m.

The five-year-old is lightly tried having just the five starts for a win and a third placing. He heads to tomorrow afternoons assignment having followed an identical path to his stable mate in race six, with two runs under the belt on the grass at Motukarara where he acquitted himself well and looks to be progressing each time he steps out.

“He’s still a bit of a work in progress with his manners, but he seems to have a bit of ability. If he can get a nice run, he might be able to fill a place.

“He’s in the same boat a wee bit, there might be a couple like Sunny Louis who might be a bit sharp for him at the stage of his career but if he can get a nice trip along the fence, he will be there abouts at the finish,” said Butt.

Race eight has attracted the biggest field on the Ashburton programme with a full field of 15 taking their place from the 2400m dispatch.

Butt lines up Princess Leia (Rock N Roll Heaven) who did a bit of work in her most recent run at Motukarara before fading into fifth but has shown this campaign with a win and couple of placings that she has enough ability to see herself fighting out the finish.

“She’s another one who is just honest in her grade, she is pretty well identical to the other mare. She probably lacks a bit of the class to be making her own luck, but if it did go her way, she will be there abouts,” he said.

Race nine is the Fiona Stuart Memorial has fittingly attracted a tidy field of 11 mares ready to do battle over the 1700m journey. The race will commemorate the long-time racing participant and administrator, who sadly passed away in 2020.

Butt’s lines up a mare more than capable of winning the race in Come Together, with the daughter of Art Major not sighted since contesting a hot field on Cup Day where she finished sixth in behind Celtic Spirit.

Come Together heads to tomorrow’s assignment having already placed on the track from the same distance where she was able to find the lead from barrier five. Drawn handy in barrier three tomorrow, that gate speed should play a factor in finding a prominent position over the sprint trip.

“The distance will suit, and she is a nice mare. She is fresh up since Cup Week and it’s probably a drop in class on the whole from what she has been racing against, but a couple of the better mares like A Better You will have a fitness edge over her having had a few runs under the belt.

“She is a handy enough mare, and she has got a good draw and has the speed to take advantage of that. Hopefully that sees her get to the pegs without much trouble and over the spring distance that will be a big help,” he said.

For complete Ashburton fields, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink