 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2010
HORSES
 |
Tim Butt has the high ground as the preliminaries take place for the bigger hurdles ahead. He has won three major paces in the last month, starting with Stunin Cullen, continuing with Raglan, and then again after a classy repeat by Stunin Cullen in the Listed Avon City Ford New Brighton Cup at Addington last Friday night.
This was a sublime performance by Stunin Cullen, who has two priceless talents: brilliant acceleration, and a quick step off the mark. Driver Anthony Butt used both in the Cup, his manners gave him a flying start, and his speed to race off to an early lead and again clear them on the corner.
Monkey King, who was second at that stage after a slow start and a big run to sit parked at the 800m, was never a serious challenger in the straight and driver Ricky May knew it, choosing to drop in behind Stunin Cullen at the 300m. He was a strong second, holding off Raglan, who edged Bondy out of third.
Stunin Cullen is close enough to being the early favourite for the Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup, though that might change when Monkey King makes the improvement that is coming. Whether Stinin Cullen has the stamina to complement his speed is a question that he will answer before too long. "I've said all along that he has more speed than any other horse I've driven, but he'll never be Flashing Red tough," said Anthony. "He's a lot more relaxed. I was reluctant to make mid-race moves with him before because of his breathing difficulties, but I wouldn't be now," he said.
Brother Tim knows that speed alone will not be enough to win at times, and says "there are other ways of winning races". This season, Stunin Cullen has achieved his two wins in front, but his second in between wins to Raglan, showed that he was even more lethal coming from off the pace. He says the horse will have an easy time for a week or two and probably have two more races before the NZ Cup.
The return of the stablemates Monkey King and Power Of Tara produced runs much as expected, Monkey King slow off and indicating a lack of match fitness near the end, and Power Of Tara pleasing although 10 lengths off the winner. Trainer Benny Hill was more than satisfied.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 22Sept 2010