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YEAR: 2005
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| Lyell Creek's farewell at Alexandra Park |
A great horse might be worthy of a very public farewell, like Lyell Creek was granted at Alexandra Park last Friday (6 May 2005). A truly great one, a people's champion, may even be so important to his industry that the TAB will cancel a race and make a 10 minute window on Trackside just so people can watch that farewell. And the rarest of horses may be good enough to convince the Auckland Trotting Club to change one of their premier public areas from being the Lordship Lounge to the Lyell Creek Lounge, as they did last Friday.
But when you are the best, the only $3 million standardbred ever born in Australasia, you deserve something even more special than that. And Lyell Creek has been offered that something special, the highest honour the ATC can bestow on a horse. "We want him to be buried here one day," said ATC President Sid Holloway.
Now that doesn't sound like a lot of fun for Lyell, who considering his longevity on the racetrack probably has desires to live another 20 years. But when he is eventually called to the great barn in the sky the ATC want Lyell Creek's remains to be buried at Alexandra Park alongside perhaps the only NZ standardbred who can be mentioned in the same breath: Cardigan Bay.
"We would one day love to honour Lyell Creek by building a memorial to him here alongside Cardigan Bay, so our two greatest harness horses can be side by side. We have made that offer to his connections as well."
Whether Lyell Creek eventually joins Cardigan Bay is hopefully a question for decades from now, but what is sure is that we won't see his like again for a long time.
How can we expect to see another pacing-bred son of a siring flop go on to become our richest ever trotter? Or even begin to believe a horse who never raced in the age groups could one day take on the best in the world and become a 1:51 trotter? To expect any horse in the future to be able to overcome a 55m handicap in a Group 1 race or win our two biggest trots after spending three years out of the country would be farcical. So don't bother waiting for another Lyell. He ain't coming.
All we can do is remember a remarkable last six years.
Years that contained two enormous winning streaks, three Dominions and three Rowe Cups, the richest ever Inter-Dominion Trot Final, and one of Addington's greatest ever upsets. We can remember how amazed we all were when Lyell Creek became our first millionaire trotter, then doubled that, and depending on what exchange rates you use, tripled it. We can remember the rarity of seeing a horse on the network news, a standardbred being partially syndicated while he was still racing. What about the dramas of owner Graham Bruton, who started at the bottom, rocketed to the top, crashed to the bottom again but then still, came out a long way on top. And how about those winter Sunday mornings watching Lyell taking on the best live on Trackside from the Meadowlands, racing that opened our eyes and filled out racing pages.
But most importantly of all, Lyell gave us hope. To every owner of a battling baby trotter who doesn't look capable of making it, to every breeder who can't afford to go to Christian Cullen or Muscles Yankee. To those who battle and dream, Lyell Creek is the hero harness racing needed.
His is a story so incredible somebody should write a book about it. The only problem is, watching Lyell walk of Alexandra Park for the final time last Friday night, his story is almost to good to be true.
Credit: Michael Guerin writing in HR Weekly
YEAR: 1999
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| Graham Bruton, Anthony & Tim Butt |
West Melton trainer Tim Butt captured the biggest victory of his career when Lyell Creek demolished the $100,000 Coupland's Bakeries Dominion Trotting Handicap field at Addington. The 31-year-old West Melton horseman has been a consistent achiever amongst the training ranks, notching 20-plus win totals in each of his last five seasons. And now he looks set to take centre stage in the cauldron of next year's Inter-Dominion Trotting Championship in Melbourne. Thanks to Lyell Creek.
Dubbed affectionately by Butt and his brother Anthony as 'Creek the freak', trotting's latest sensation really is one out of the blue. This time 12 months ago he had only just made his debut, finishing fifth in a maiden at Kaikoura, and he was bought by Graham Bruton after winning his next start on January 4. Lyell Creek won first-up for the Butts at Motukarara later the same month, then at Addington early in February he stood on the mark and took no part, eventually being pulled up. Two wins in the space of three days at Trentham followed, but after returning home Lyell Creek took ill. "He got this niggly little virus and was quite crook for a long while," Tim recalled. "The virus was resistant to a couple of types of antibiotics that we tried, and in the end we took a swab out of his lung to find out how to kill it."
Lyell Creek resumed in August, knocking his opposition aside like tenpins. He stretched his winning streak to five prior to the Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup, and treated that field with arrogance as well. If people were not starting to sit up and take notice by then, they certainly were after the geldings Cup Day run, because that was one of the greatest staying performances ever seen at Addington.
So Lyell Creek went into the Dominion with the picket fence formline intact, but on the score of experience he really had no right lining up in such an event. After all, it is the New Zealand Cup of trotting, a race for our most hardened and elite square-gaiters; with only 11 starts under his belt, Lyell Creek was a baby in an adult's world. No-one told him that. Beginning like only he does, Lyell Creek bounded away for his customary two strides and came down trotting. Anthony Butt held onto him until they were around the first bend, then he asked the 6-year-old to find the lead. That is where Lyell Creek loves it and it shows. Two laps later he was still there, and he embarrassed his more experienced rivals when jogging home by more than two lengths.
"We were not originally going to start him in the Dominion," his trainer said afterwards. "All along we were targetting the Inter-Dominions because of the stakemoney, and we felt that his best chance in them was to be off the front. But going by his run on Cup Day and tonight's performance, he's probably good enough to win it off 20 metres," Butt said.
Lyell Creek now heads to Auckland for the two major trotting events on their carnival, and then it's off to Melbourne. Butt is extremely excited about the trotters prospects across the Tasman, and why wouldn't he be. "The handicaps for the Inter-Dominions come out on December 1, so regardless of what he does after that he can't be re-handicapped," he said. "In a lot of ways Lyell Creek is still learning to be a racehorse - he shakes and shivers in his stall before a race so he should be more settled once he gets over that. He is a perfect beginner though, and Ants hasn't turned the stick on him yet. The trips up north and overseas are going to do him the world of good."
Credit: John Robinson writing in NZHR Weekly
YEAR: 2000
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WOW! That is one way to describe Lyell Creek's Ordeal Trotting Cup win. Here is another...four and three wide early before changing down a gear to take the lead after 600 metres, sped along, coasted clear.
What Lyell Creek did when resuming on friday night left everyone shaking their heads in disbelief. On a cold night he went head-first into a stiff easterly three times, yet he still managed to trot his 2600m mobile event in 3:16.5 - and threw in a final 800 metre split of 27.5 for good measure. But wait, there is more...he absolutely jogged it!
All this just goes to show that Lyell Creek has returned as good as, if not better than, last season, and it is no wonder trainer Tim Butt found it hard to hold back a smile after the event. "You always know what he is capable of," Butt said, realising the enormity of Lyell Creek's performance at this early stage of the season. "He is the sort of horse that no matter what he does, it doesn't surprise you. And he has trotted so much sweeter tonight, that was the most pleasing part for me. We put new shoes on him in front, just a bit of fine-tuning, and they are a little bit lighter and a bit squarer in the toe. In the past he has always trotted best when his shoes were almost worn out," he said.
Despite drawing wide last Friday, Butt and his brother Anthony had a pre-race plan to press forward. "With Europe and America in mind, we are conscious of him not losing any ground at the start of a mobile race. At this stage we don't want him to become a gate hummer either though, he will end up chasing it all the time otherwise. Just seeing the way he came through his event tonight stands him in good stead for Sweden too, because he will have to race twice in a day over there. He looks like he could go out there and do it again."
Last year, Lyell Creek's connections tackled some minor races along the way but their main focus was on the bigger picture... firstly the Dominion Handicap; mainly the Inter-Dominion Final, and lastly the Rowe Cup. Some of his races were lead-up events to the main goals, so even though he won them, in a way we would not have been worried if he didn't," Butt said. "Like that Cup Day run when he beat One Kenny...that brought him on another ten to twenty percent for the Dominion Handicap and the next time we worked him he was just a different horse.
"And then there was the Dullard Cup. That was still a month away from the Inter-Dominion Final so he was not much more than about eighty percent fit. That night he was four and three-wide before sitting parked, he dished it up to Special Force, skipped clear on the turn and held on, breaking the track record by two seconds. Some people said that he fell in to win, but in the context of what stage his preparation was at it was a huge run," Butt said.
This season things are only slightly different; 'Team Lyell Creek' are still concentrating on the bigger picture, but they are pretty keen on keeping the trotter's winning streak in tact too. After last Friday, this now stands at 17.
During the week leading up to Lyell Creek's resumption, Anthony Butt purchased a quarter share in the gelding off owner Graham Bruton. "We had talked about this fo 12 months," Bruton said. "I offered Ants a share in Lyell Creek because I thought if he was going to be spending all that time with the horse overseas he may as well be bringing in a bit more than his five percent as a driver."
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 20Sep00
YEAR: 2000
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Lyell Creek added another '1' to his formline with a powerful burst in the straight to beat the stablemates Buster Hanover and Sundon's Way in the Giannis Pita Bread Canterbury Park Trotting Cup.
The trotting champion made a lightning beginning from 35m, was given a trailing run just off the pace by Anthony Butt, and then showed his strength to race clear. Buster Hanover, a breaker, ran second, passing his stablemate Sundon's Way, with pacemaker One Kenny tiring to fourth.
The picture shows driver and part-owner Anthony Butt, part-owner Graham Bruton and tainer Tim Butt. Their youthful supporters are 8-year-old James Butt, son of David and Catherine Butt, and Christopher Butt, son of Anthony and Karen.
Lyell Creek's next start is in the $25,000 Ashburton Trust Trotter's Flying Mile on Labour Day where he is expected to open out and run a time of near 1:55.
Credit: Harness Racing Weekly
YEAR: 2000
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| The Weekly celebrates Sunny Action's win |
There is no doubt in Terry Chmiel's mind. He says Lyell Creek's number was up in the Air New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All whether he kept trotting or not. "Halfway up the straight, I thought I would catch him," said Chmiel. "Lyell didn't seem to be trotting all that good when he came out of the trail," he said.
The success of Sunny Action and a shrewd drive by Chmiel was overshadowed by the stunning defeat of Lyell Creek, who was aiming for his 21st successive win. The cries of "Lyell, Lyell" from the public stand became a muted hush when the champion broke stride when looking vulnerable just half a length clear of Sunny Action with 50 metres to go.
In spite of her first-day form when she was beaten by McGrady, Sunny Action was not expected to bother Lyell Creek and some of the other fancies. But no-one reckoned on the favourite having an off-day and the growing confidence and judgement of young Chmiel. "We were lucky to get the run we did in the finish. I couldn't believe how lucky we were, dropping back, and then finished three-deep and behind Lyell Creek. She is a sit and sprinter, so this was ideal for her, and I mean we were sitting on the back of Lyell Creek. I knew we were following the right horse and that 'Ants'(driver Anthony Butt) would find a run for us.' There has been speculation since that second may have been as good as Sunny Action could have expected had Lyell Creek stayed down, but Chmiel doesn't see it that way. "When I saw 'Ants' tap him on the back, I felt pretty certain she would get there."
This was Chmiel's first Group race win. He has only driven in two of such status before, both behind Penny Lane in the Standardbred Breeders' Stakes. He has battled away in junior ranks without big-name stables to call on, and is thankful of the loyalty shown by Kevin Fairbairn and Steve Hammar in particular. He was lucky picking up the drive on Sunny Action. He recalls being at the trials when Jim Dalgety asked him to drive a couple. That may have been the end of it had regular stable driver Jimmy Curtin not made prior commitments at the Forbury Park meeting last month. Chmiel was called up to drive Sunny Action and Hi Connie, and the drives have remained.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 22Nov00
YEAR: 2004
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| Lyell Creek has the FFA in safe keeping |
The 11 others, all of younger vintage, saw him disappear down the straight, followed by Sumthingaboutmaori, who chased him gamely. For most of them it was more of the same. This was his 55th win, a number which still takes some comprehening. He ran the trip in 3:14.3, which clipped 0.1 off the old mark shared by Last Sunset and Major Decision. This, too, takes thinking about. It might suggest that he is as good, or better, than he has been.
Trainer Tim Butt shakes his head at the thought of it. "He is not the horse he was. Today, the race panned out for him. Some of the others, like Allegro Agitato, were taken on and had hard runs. This was run to suit him," he said.
As good as it was, Butt is anxious to keep the performance in perspective. "If they go 4:05, he can win the Dominion, but not if they run 4:10. In the last three weeks his work has been great. He enjoys life around the stables, looks forward to his work, but we will still have to space his races. The Friday one was designed to top him off for the Dominion," he said.
Butt said it was fantastic hearing the Addington crowd give Lyell Creek such an ovation after his win. "They respect him, and I think they can see he has got that will to win, just like Sunline showed," he said
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 17Nov04
YEAR: 2004
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It's all been said before, but it needs to be said again - how much of a equine wonder is Lyell Creek? A champion, a freak, a marvel, great, phenomenal, amazing. They've all been trotted out to desperately describe the feats no other horse has done. Like this report, however, they don't adequately cover his stature as a world class icon.
The horse is 11 - though he could be going on seven. He has been to places most of us only see on the map. He has footed it with the best, and his reputation is legendary. After winning millions, he returned home, and if he wanted it, honourable retirement.
'Lyell' obviously had other ideas. He settled happily into stable life again at Premier Stables, and with the exception of one or two minor hic-cups, he has dominated the ranks of open class trotters in New Zealand. He ran a corker first-up for the season, when his ill-fated stablemate Sonofthedon won, then showed his intolerance of being bustled early with a mulish display on the grass at Motukarara. With others sharing the load in front on Cup Day, Lyell Creek was in his element and showed it with a stylish win over Sumthingaboutmaori.
Would he do the same 10 days later in the $100,000 Southern Trust Dominion Handicap, off 10 metres?
'Lyell' made his intensions known quickly, with such a speedy beginning that had him sixth or seventh, on the outer, after 300 metres. From there, driver Anthony Butt had the race at his mercy. He had Castleton's Mission two places behind him, he'd probably seen Allegro Agitato in a gallop, and he had the classy Australian Sumthingaboutmaori inside him, four deep. He only had to press the button at some time near the corner to turn 'Lyell' loose and set the crowd alight. It all came together swimmingly well, and while Castleton's Mission looked more like his old self with a solid charge from the back, Lyell Creek was on his way to another Dominion win.
"He is just so superior to the others," said Butt, who said his failure back at Motukarara was due to being 'off colour'. "He had a little break, and he's been so healthy since then," he said.
To match his own talent as a horseman, Butt has never been short of a great horse to keep him at the top of the top level. "Blossom Lady - she was the first, Happy Asset and Take A Moment, and now more of 'Lyell'. I mean, to win 16 Group 1 races like he has is unreal. Take A Moment is a great horse, but 'Lyell' is amazing. He's one of those horses you'll never see again."
For the record, it was Butt's sixth successive win in the Dominion Handicap, and it was brother Tim's sixth successive training win. Some record!
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in NZHR Weekly