NZ HARNESS NEWS
Woodend Beach horseman Bob Butt has been building up a more than useful team and has some good chances engaged this weekend.
Prestonpans will have his work cut out against Anthem at Addington and the promising maiden trotter Kapai needs a scratching to get a start at Motukarara on Sunday, but Butt will probably record a win with Gold Chain in the first race at Addington on Friday night.
She will likely only need to trot away to clear maiden trotting ranks if her debut at Addington in early August is any guide.
On that occasion Gold Chain was nosed out by Lovey Dovey Moment with 16 lengths to the rest after they’d gone around in a smart 3.24.8.
To frank that form, Lovey Dovey Moment then went a huge race when beaten just a head by Celtic Ranger when up in grade from an unruly post in a 1980m mobile at Addington a few weeks later.
Gold Chain reappeared at Methven recently and started a hot favourite, but she was off stride early and lost too much ground before finishing midfield.
“It looks like we’ve got Lovey Dovey Moment to worry about again, but Gold Chain has continued to improve and I can’t see much else for us to worry about this week,” said Butt.
“She’s certainly come a long way from six months ago when she was basically going nowhere.
“We only brought her back into work because she was so well-bred, but one day something clicked and she never stopped improving.
“If she keeps improving in the next six months as much as she’s done in the last six months, we could really have something.
“I have got a pretty good team of horses coming up this season and hopefully they can do a job before we move them on.”
Gold Chain is not one likely to be sold however as the four-year-old, bred and owned by Butt’s grandparents Robin and Jackie Butt, is by Muscle Hill from a Love You mare in Gold Card.
When a win does come it will be well deserved.
Robin Butt acquired Gold Card when she was a bad debt as a yearling, paying the stud fee to secure her, but she broke her tail bone in early training.
“We could see that was going to take quite a bit time to resolve so Gold Card was bred as a three-year-old to produce Gold Chain and then we brought her back into work.
“She got to the trials but she wanted to hold her tail sideways and we had to give up again before too long.”
Gold Card has since produced a filly by Andover Hall and a yearling colt by Father Patrick, the latter in particular looking “exceptional”.
In Gold Chain, the Butts have a mare by the current leading trotting sire in North America from a mare by the former leading sire in Europe.
So when she’s done winning races she won’t be going anywhere.
- NZ Harness News
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