Lone Kiwi set for Albion Park showdown against elite rivals

Zachary Butcher is planning on doing plenty of homework ahead of being the lone Kiwi in the Ultimate Drivers Championship at Albion Park in Brisbane this weekend.

Butcher will face nine stellar rivals from Australia and Canada in the 20-race series across Friday and Saturday nights.

He follows brother-in-law Carter Dalgety, who was the only Kiwi in last year’s inaugural Ultimate Driver and finished ninth behind Queensland young gun Angus Garrard.

Kiwi-born Dexter Dunn finished fourth, but he is driving up a storm in the US these days.

“Once I’ve got my set of drives, I’ll be calling friends and family and anyone else who can help with form and homework,” Butcher said.

“A local won it last year (Garrard) and no doubt the advantage they get is knowing the horses. I’ll be finding out as much as I can about mine and their rivals.”

Butcher said knowing the horses was more important to him than not having driven at Albion Park before.

“I’m surprised I haven’t driven there. Barry (Purdon) and Scotty (Phelan) have had trips planned, but they didn’t happen for one reason or another,” he said. “I’ve driven in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, but not Brisbane.

“It looks a bit like Cambridge, but without as much camber on the turns.

“From the racing I’ve watched, it doesn’t look easy to get back, come wide and be in the finish. On speed and near the pegs looks a big advantage.

“The great thing about it is that it’s across 20 races. That’s a lot. It’s not a five or six race series, like lots of them. It gives us visitors plenty of time to get the hang of things.”

Butcher was thrilled when he got the call-up from the Betit Boys syndicate to be their driver in the series.

“I went across last year, just for the second night, to cheer for Carter and absolutely loved the whole thing,” he said.

“I went home wanting to be part of it one day and for it to happen the next year is awesome. It’s a wee Bucket List thing for me, to be honest.

“It’s not just great racing with some fantastic drivers, but there’s the whole social side of things, too. That camaraderie last year really impressed me.

“It’s a serious contest, but not like a Miracle Mile or a NZ Cup where you’re really focused on that and almost enemies with the rest.”

Like many drivers in the series, Butcher will have quite a support crew trackside.

“Mum (Wanda) and Dad (David) are coming over. My sister, Simone, is coming up from Sydney and my cousin, Shane, will be there, too,” he said. “It’s also great to have Josh (Dickie) and Sammy (Kilgour) coming over, too.

“I just can’t wait to get into it. I’m sure it’ll be a weekend I’ll remember for a long time to come.”

Butcher and five-time champion Canadian driver James MacDonald are the international flavour this time.

They face eight outstanding Aussies: Cam Hart (NSW), Luke McCarthy (NSW), James Herbertson (Vic), Pete McMullen (Qld), Trista Dixon (Qld), Robbie Morris (NSW), Gary Hall Jr (WA) and Angus Garrard (Qld).

Garrard, Hall Jr and McMullen are the only three returning drivers after filling the trifecta last year.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing New Zealand