Consistency and class will carry horses a long way in the 2016-17 Trots Country Cups Championship and Ohoka Punter has both in spades.
His Central Goldfields Shire Maryborough Gold Cup trophy will sit proudly alongside the Shepparton Gold Cup won last season in his owner’s trophy cabinet and glisten beside his Group 1 Blacks A Fake crown captured at Albion Park in July.
Truth told Ohoka Punter has hardly faltered since crossing the ditch in January, and champion reinsman Anthony Butt’s rapport with the seven-year-old has been a key.
Butt has driven Ohoka Punter seven times for four wins (Shepparton Cup, Pure Steel, Jennifer’s 50th Pace at Menangle and yesterday’s Maryborough Cup), two seconds (beaten a head by star Smolda in the A.G. Hunter Cup and 0.7m by Yankee Rockstar in the Kilmore Cup) and one third (in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile behind Hectorjayjay and Lennytheshark).
“He’s definitely in the top three or four in the country,” Butt said of Ohoka Punter.
“He went good yesterday. He’s been racing without much luck lately and I knew if he was able to find the front he was going to be awful hard to beat.”
Yesterday’s 6.3-metre win means Nathan Purdon-trained Ohoka Punter has won 24 races from 52 career starts for $964,016 in stake earnings.
The Bettors Delight entire clocked 3mins, 17.5secs for the 2690-metre journey and rated 1:58.1. Once Butt steered Ohoka Punter to the lead he controlled the race.
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It is likely Victorian cups contenders will be spared his wrath for a while because Ohoka Punter is about to embark on an Inter Dominion campaign.
Given his record on the horse Butt would love to be partnered with Punter for the $1.8million Inter Dominion series.
“He’s one of the few horses that would give Lennytheshark and Hectorjayjay a run for their money at that level,” Butt said.
Ohoka Punter is on four points alongside Swan Hill Cup winner Hectorjayjay on the Victorian Trots Country Cups Championship leader board after two races.
Yankee Rockstar, heavily backed leading into yesterday’s race, punched the breeze throughout and boxed on for sixth beaten 7.7m, Ohoka Punter’s winning move coming at the 800m when Butt upped the ante and took the wind out of his rivals via a 27.5secs third split.
When Ohoka Punter kicked hard off the final bend it was lights out for the chasing brigade, Young Modern running an enormous race for second and Flaming Flutter a typically consistent third.
Chilli Palmer ran fourth for Zac Phillips and Major Secret fifth for Jason Lee.
The Cups Championship heads to Yarra Valley on Oaks Day, Thursday November 3, before St Arnaud (November 13) and Gunbower (November 20) in coming weeks.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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