By Duane Ranger
Philip Butcher has never played cricket but he kinda knows what it’s like to be left on 49 not out.
The Cambridge reinsman has been left stranded on 49 winners for the season since reining the Logan and Shane Hollis-trained Big Mach to win at Manawatu Raceway on May 12.
Ironically some 68 days since that win the 50-year-old rated Big Mach as his best winning drive at Alexandra Park on Friday night.
It will be the ‘last-chance-cafe’ for Butcher to bring up his half century as it is the last meeting of the northern harness racing season.
But the ever casual and modest Butcher said he was not perturbed about notching up the half ton.
“They are just numbers and I don’t care how much of a ribbing I get, especially from some of my family. I’m just rapt to have recorded my best season yet.
“If it happens it happens but I won’t be losing any sleep over it,” Butcher said.
The Butcher family have always had a healthy rivalry amongst each other, and Butcher said that drove them all to be better horsemen.
Butcher has never achieved 50 wins in a season before. His previous best was 42 winners in both the 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 seasons.
“I’ve had just over 70 place-getters this season and l won more than $400,000 in stakes so I’d have to be happy with that. I’ve enjoyed it, but this last winner is proving a bit elusive,” Butcher said.
Butcher has only ever earned more than $400,000 in purses twice in his career – in 2008-2009 when he amassed $462,903 and then again in 2013-2014 when he won $405,695. His stake earnings this season currently sit at $450,646.
Big Mach lines up in the ninth of the 10 races at ‘The Park’ on Friday – and has drawn ideally at two in the seven horse field.
“He’s a nice little horse who won well on debut at Auckland and has finished seventh and eighth from worse draws since then. The money was on at Manawatu last time and he’s way better than what he showed that night.
“It’s a nice C1 filed but I think he’s my best winning chance,” Butcher said.
He also thought Everlasting Grace was a place chance in race eight.
“She’s a consistent 4-year-old mare who unfortunately has copped the widest front row draw. Geoff (Small) has her spot on at the moment and she was a nice second when second favourite here last week.”
Butcher will also drive the Ray Green trained Lincolns Superstar in the fourth event.
“She’s a consistent filly but I don’t know too much about her because the first time I drove her was last week. She felt okay and ran on good for third and shouldn’t be too far away, despite the rough second row draw (10).”
One horse that could get Butcher over the line is the Mike Berger trained Charleston Belle in the fifth event. The Christian Cullen mare is the only starter from the second line.
“She’s a real head scratcher. She faded out of it last start and prior to that I thought she was due a win. This is her third start back this campaign. She is better than what’s she’s returned this campaign. Take her on trust.”
He also thought Sikora (race two) was better suited to a claiming race while Cool Son (race three) went better the Cambridge way-around.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
