| HORSES |
YEAR: 2020
Canterbury horseman Bob Butt continued his family’s legacy in the Gr.1 Livamol NZ Trotting Free-For-All Mobile Trot (1980m) at Addington Raceway on Tuesday when winning the feature trot with Heavyweight Hero.
Butt became the third generation of his family to win the race after his father David Butt drove Call Me Now to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995, and again in 2008 with Stig. While Butt’s grandfather, Robin Butt, won the race in 1971 with Tony Bear.
Fittingly Butt, who also trains Heavyweight Hero, carried his grandfather’s green and white colours to victory on Friday, and he was duly rapt with the win.
“It is great,” he said. “If you can’t be happy with that I don’t know what is wrong with you.”
After an initial false start in which The Dominator broke from the ace barrier, he galloped once again on take two, which allowed Butt to find the perfect running position three back on the markers.
Heavyweight Hero did no work when trailing race favourite Majestic Man and Cracker Hill throughout and Butt was able to utilise the passing lane to slingshot the leaders and win by three-quarters of a length over Cracker Hill with a further three-quarters of a length back to Muscle Mountain in third.
“When The Dominator galloped early I thought I would try and get Nathan’s (Williamson, driver) back (on Majestic Man) but Cracker Hill was punting through and with those two in front of me, three back on the fence was the place to be because I wouldn’t have to go around one and it worked out well,” Butt said.
“I got a slingshot through (when Brad Williamson elected not to take the passing lane with Cracker Hill) and he is a great old horse and is so genuine.”
Heavyweight Hero shaved almost one second off the 1980m national record to go alongside his other national record over 2600m.
Heavyweight Hero headed into Tuesday off the back of four consecutive runner-up results and Butt was delighted to get that elusive Group One victory with his consistent trotter.
“He hasn’t gone a bad race so he deserves it,” Butt said.
“He seemed as good as ever ahead of today, he just needed a run. He is thereabouts always so we just needed a bit of luck and we got it.
Credit : Joshua Smith, HRNZ Harness News 10 Nov 2020
Credit: Joshua Smith
YEAR: 2017
Greg Hope made a scary confession in the wake of Enghien’s New Zealand Trotting Derby on Friday night.
Not long after his rising star had dealt to his rivals in the $80,000 feature the Woodend Beach trainer, who trains with his wife Nina, was already pondering his next step with the dour son of Love You and that’s Auckland.
A lot of trainers might feel hesitation about the prospect of heading North to race a new way around, but Hope was buoyant about the prospect.
“He’s actually better trotting the Auckland way around,” Hope added.
“So I’m looking forward to getting him up there, he’s going from strength to strength at the moment.”
A second line draw and a sweeping move around the field weren’t enough to stop Enghien.
He went to war with the pace-making Musculus and also northern raider, Heavyweight Hero from almost the 800 metre mark and although his winning margin wasn’t huge, it was authoritative.
“I think he could have won by a lot more if I had asked him too,” driver Ricky May said.
By winning, Enghien secured bragging rights over his high-class stable mate, Monbet.
For all his subsequent success, Monbet was unable to win a Group One as a three-year-old, bowing to Speeding Spur on more than one occasion.
Enghien is raced by Hope and long-time stable supporter, Richard Delleca.
They purchased him as a yearling from the yearling sales from stock offered by the late Carl Middleton.
Middleton’s wife, Heather, was on track to witness the success on Friday night and Hope said it was great for her to be there.
“It’s a wonderful breed, Carl’s breed,” Hope said.
“And Heather being here to see this horse is great, she’s actually taken a share in the yearling we purchased at the sales from Another Love which is great too.”
Credit: Matt Markham writing on Harnesslink, April 2017