Zachary Butcher pleased with his team

Usually when a harness racing trainer lines up two horses on a night a perfect result would be both winning.

But Zachary Butcher felt like he got exactly what he was hoping for with a win and a third at Alexandra Park on Friday night. Butcher trained Desistella (He’s Watching) to win on debut (more on that later) in her maiden race, the Blueprints Renewed Consultants NZHAT Mobile Pace, immediately after his stable star Mantra Blue (Sweet Lou) had returned with a third in the night’s main sprint, the Diamond Racing Stables Supporting NZHAT Mobile Pace.

DESISTELLA REPLAY

The high-class filly from last season struggled with some issues earlier this year and Butcher wanted her to hit the line well, and if she won great, but having a good experience in her first run back was more important.

She was ideally driven by Monika Ranger to do that in a race she couldn’t have won anyway as Artisan led and gave Always A Porsche the ideal trail and that was enough for the latter to win.

It confirmed Always A Porsche is a good horse, his fourth win coming at just his eighth start and he paced a 1:55 mile rate on a freezing night, his last 800m in 55.2 seconds.

While he is heading to open class eventually, the fact Mantra Blue was able to make ground in such quick final sectionals thrilled Butcher.

“It was exactly what I wanted. If she had won it would have been a bonus,” he said.

“She is having this winter racing to get her a base and her main aims will be the Queen Of Hearts, a $50,000 race on Auckland Cup night and the Golden Gait series if she can qualify.”

While Mantra Blue was only third Desistella landed some big bets on debut with Butcher training a winner for his mother Wanda as the owner. Well, kind of.

“Dad (David) and Ben deserve the credit for training her,” explains Butcher.

“She hasn’t done much. She qualified in 2:50 for the 2200m at Cambridge and then they sent her up to me so I really can’t take any of the credit.

“They are getting busy down there and she is a smart filly who will keep improving.”

One of the biggest dividends of the Alexandra Park season came when Runkle Crunch won the juvenile pace at 40-1 for race sponsors Brian and Gareth Hughes.

Having only his second start he gave sire Captain Crunch his fourth individual winner in New Zealand, all breaking 2:00, with Runkle Crunch getting up the passing lane to pace 1:57.9 for the 1700m.

The shock of the race was hot favourite Bar Louie rolling into a gallop when warming up at the 200m.

Earlier in the night young Harrison Orange continued his wonderful start to his career when Isla’s Son made it two wins for the pair in seven days in the Equine Specialists Importer of Farrier Supplies Handicap Trot when they wore down tearaway leader Jasinova in the shadows of the post in a quick 3:27.3 for the 2700m stand.

For complete race results, click here.

by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing New Zealand