Anthony Butt makes big call to return home

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 

One of this country's greats is returning home to link up with the country's top stables.

In just over a month the Australian-based Anthony Butt will relocate from his base at Melton just outside Melbourne and take up a new job for last year's premiership-winning Stonewall Stud in Canterbury.

Last year the Stud's training combo of Steve and Amanda Telfer set a new New Zealand record of 171 wins in a 12-month season.

Butt will join a roster that includes the stable's number one driver Tim Williams.  

"I'll drive track work for them every morning and drive for them on race day if and when required, but I'll also be free to drive for other people as well," says Butt.

He says he'd always planned to head home sooner or later though the Stonewall opportunity "accelerated that a bit."

"It suits us to come home especially from a family point of view it makes sense," says Butt, "for mum and the kids and there are two grand-daughters who are a lot of fun."

The change of pace is another factor. 

"Sonya and I are really looking forward to getting back to the family and all our friends in NZ.

"Certainly the lifestyle is a lot slower there than the hustle and bustle of Aussie."

"I'll head home and have a bit of a breather, in Victoria you can race every day with a lot of travel involved, there are a lot of hobby trainers who you drive for rather than one or two big stables."

After more than 1600 wins in this country Butt moved to Australia in 2014.

Among his crowning achievements here were three New Zealand Cup wins (Blossom Lady in 1992 and Flashing Red twice in 2006-07) and nine victories in the Dominion Trot, including three each with Lyell Creek and Take A Moment.

His last win in New Zealand was with the Rickie Alchin-trained Tough Monarch in the Group 1 Trotting Free For All at Addington in 2019.

In Australia Butt has mainly been based in Victoria though he did have a stint in Sydney.

In all across the Tasman he's had 908 wins, including 69 Group 1s.

Among his greatest successes across the Tasman have been his record seven wins in Victoria's greatest race the Hunter Cup, starting with Blossom Lady's back-to-back victories in 1994-95.

In 2022 his success was recognised by him receiving the Caduceus Club of Victoria's Living Legend award.

When this year's Hunter Cup carnival is finished in mid February that is when Butt will pack his bags and head home - this time it's for keeps.