By Adam Hamilton
SOMETIMES we take Anthony Butt’s genius in the sulky for granted.
Fans were given a timely reminder when he produced the most dominant and superb drive to toy with his rivals aboard Miracle Mile winner My Field Marshal in the $50,000 Group 2 Bulli Cup (1609m) at Menangle last night (Saturday).
Although known as a sit-sprinter, Butt drove My Field Marshal with aggression as to be the best horse in the race and humbled a smart field, including buzz former Kiwi Franco Nelson.
And My Field Marshal thrived on it, powering clear to win by 7.4m in a brilliant 1min49.3sec mile.
Rival driver Luke McCarthy, who knows Menangle better than anyone, gave some amazing perspective to the win.
“That’s one hell of a run. Going 1min49.3sec on a cold, miserable night like this is like a 1min47sec in good, daytime conditions. He went absolutely super tonight,” he said.
Trainer Tim Butt will now pick his way through some free-for-alls at Menangle ahead of next month’s Group 1 Len Smith Mile then head to Queensland for the Winter Carnival.
Franco Nelson did a power of work and wilted late for sixth and seems to be a tad below his stellar form of a month or so back.
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AGEING champ Lennytheshark was taken down by friendly fire, but still smashed through the $3 million barrier with a fantastic second in last night’s (Saturday) $50,000 Group 2 Shepparton Cup (2690m).
The Cup was billed as a match-race between Lennytheshark, first-up since the Miracle Mile, and emerging star Cruz Bromac, but along came Lennytheshark’s dramatically improved stablemate Im The Boss to snatch victory.
Cruz Bromac burned straight to the front from his outside draw, but it wasn’t long before trainer-driver David Aiken was around the field on Lennytheshark to declare war.
They burned through a 58.2sec middle half, then Lennytheshark crushed Cruz Bromac with a 27.1sec third split, but the effort told late as Im Boss came off a cold sit to win by 1.5m.
The Im The Boss story is a gem with Aiken’s owners, the Stokie Group, plucking him out of a claiming race for just $11,000 with the hope he might win a few city-class races.
He’s done a lot more than that. He’s now won the Mildura and Shepparton Cups and over $111,000 in stakemoney for the new connections.
And he’s claimed a huge scalp in Lennytheshark.
He’s also given a young Swedish woman an experience she never dream of.
Kima Frenning has driven Im The Boss at Mildura and Shepparton.
“I can’t believe this,” he said. “Mildura was one thing and absolutely amazing, but to beat a champion like Lennytheshark in a race like this unbelievable.”
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SIDELINED superstar Lumineer is still in rehab mode.
Trainer Ange McDowall said sights had switched to the Breeders Crown as lone remaining target this season.
Lumineer has not raced since suffering his only defeat in nine starts when sixth in the Victoria Derby on January 27 and being found to significant muscle tears in his back.
“It’s amazing he ran so well against those horses considering how nasty the injuries were,” McDowall said. “We were never going to rush him back, He’s still in rehab work as we ensure all systems are tracking right.
“Our aim is the Breeders Crown so anything before that is a bonus,”
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IT’S rare NSW has a serious player in Australia’s trotters ranks, but they do again now.
Just days after the state’s best trotter, veteran star On Thunder Road, was shipped off to the US to continue his career, Tough Monarch firmly grabbed the crown as NSW’s best trotter.
More than that, he looks one of the best in Australia judging by his dominant win in the Group 3 Shepparton Trotters’ Cup last night (Saturday).
Trained and driven by Rickie Alchin, the six-year-old son of Monarchy found the front and strolled away to win by 12.3m without being extended in a 2min2.9sec mile rate for the long 2690m trip.
Tough Monarchy, who has had wayward manners at times, has won 10 of his 24 starts and is still on the up.
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THROW emerging three-year-old The Black Prince into the Harness Jewels mix.
Connections have reached-out to Harness Racing NZ to express their interest in the Jewels after the son of Bettors Delight beat older rivals in scorching time in last night’s (Saturday) $50,000 Group 2 Carousel final at Menangle.
Trained by Roy Roots Jr and driven superbly by Chris Geary, The Black Prince led, then sat on hot favourite and star four-year-old Atomic Red before overpowering him late.
They went a flying 1min54.1sec mile rate for the long 2300m trip and ripped home in 54.7 and 27.6sec.
The Black Prince has enjoyed a fantastic season with seven wins from 10 starts and showed his potential with a close fourth to Poster Boy in the NSW Derby, but the Carousel win showed he had gone to another level since.
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NO wonder Chris Alford thinks Tell Me Tales is headed to Australia’s best mares’ races.
The Emma Stewart-trained four-year-old brilliantly made it seven wins on end and 11 wins from her 16 starts when she smashed the clock at Melton last Friday night.
“She’s beaten some nice fillies and mares along the way already and just keeps getting better. I really like her, she’s so strong and showed it again tonight,” Alford said.
Leader Gilty Hanover whizzed along in front and made Tell Me Tales work hard coming right around the field, but she was simply too good in a blistering 1min53.1sec mile rate for 1720m.
Another impressive Melton winner last Friday was former Kiwi trotter Mr Sundon.
Owners Merv and Meg Butterworth have always had high hopes for the well-bred Kiwi, but he’s taken patience and a stable switch from Kerryn Manning to her husband, Grant Campbell.
There was plenty to like about the way he thrashed a handy field to win by 14.3m in a slick 2min1.9sec mile rate for the 2240m.
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