By Adam Hamilton
TOP class former Kiwi pacer My Field Marshal won’t return to racing until the New Year.
Trainer Tim Butt, now firmly making Menangle home, revealed his stable star was overcoming a minor hoof issue and had been shifted from Victoria to his Menangle base.
“I’d say it’s more likely he will return in the Bendigo Cup now (January 6),” Butt said. “It’s nothing serious, but I wanted to get him up to Menangle to keep a close eye on him.”
Butt had planned to race My Field Marshal through December, including a sprint race at Ballarat on Boxing night.
My Field Marshal hasn’t raced since as strong second to Lennytheshark in the Yarra Valley Cup on November 9.
Butt is glad he skipped the Perth Inter Dominion.
“It would’ve been great to be part of it, but it wasn’t in the best interests of the horse,” he said. “Now I can have a fresh horse going into races like the Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile.
“That was a pretty brutal Inter Dominion on the horses.
“I know I’ve got a horse who, with the right draw and luck, can match it with any of them.”
In other news, Butt spoke out strongly urging officials in Victoria, NSW and NZ to bring back the trotting section of the Inter Dominion over the next three years.
“It’s got to happen. It’s the ultimate,” he said. “It adds another dimension to the Inter Dominion.”
Harness Racing Victoria CEO David Martin confirmed there would be “some type of trotting” component to next year’s Inter Dominion.
“Just what that is we aren’t sure as yet,” he said. “We should be in a position to talk more about it in February.”
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
