25 April 2022 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Similan Beach is lucky to be alive, let alone be at the track.
The Kristy Butler prepared pacer continues his come back to the track when he contests Monday night’s $14,000 Col Saunders Memorial Brighton Cup in Hobart in the pacer’s second start back at the track off a long break.
A winner of 13 races from 29 starts, the Somebeachsomewhere gelding returned in Launceston last week, his first race start since September 2020, and has been nursed back to the track by his trainer Kristy Butler.
“He broke his pedal bone, and was told by the vets that he would never race again.
“Then a couple of months after, his hoof detached from trauma and we were told that it may best to put him to sleep,” recalled Butler.
“I couldn’t have that whatsoever, so I rehabbed him so he could live his days out as a paddock ornament.
“But once he was able to go in a paddock it was clear he wanted to work again as he just worked himself all day long, but it has been a long process getting him back, but here we are,” Butler said.
As part of the pacers rehab, Butler took the pacer to several shows in country Tasmania.
“He went to the shows as part of his rehab, he was sick of being locked in a box, so I had to do something to stimulate his mind and make him happy.
“He was on his worst behaviour at the Westbury show, but he came home with reserve champion off the track standardbred,” explained the Pipers River-based trainer.
Similan Beach will be driven on Monday by Gareth Rattray.
The gelding will certainly know he is back at the track on Monday when he takes on several of the state’s best pacers.
His rivals include recent Tasmania Cup placegetter Ryley Major, this year’s Devonport Cup winner Lip Reader, and Call Me Hector, who resumes off a long break with those three runners all sharing the 30m back mark in the 2579m event.
Regardless of the result, the pacer is a winner in his connection’s eyes.
Monday’s Hobart eight-race card also features the Sires Produce and the L.H.T Cup, with the first race set down for 17:52.
The meeting will be televised on Sky Racing 1, alongside the Launceston greyhound card, which features the $14,000 to-the-winner Illingworth Classic.
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