Donna's Boy wins again in style at Addington

By Michael Guerin

Bob Butt says there is no reason Donna’s Boy can’t make it all the way to open class.

But for now he will settle for a Harness 5000 win at Ashburton in two weeks time before giving the big boy a well earned spell.

Donna’s Boy made it four wins in eight starts since joining Butt’s team with an easy victory at Addington on Friday night, rolling to the front and never looking like being headed.

That followed a win in the Junior Drivers Champs last Friday and a second in the final heat of the World Driving Championship on NZ Cup Day.

So after targetting the two series Friday was only the second time Butt has won on the son of Pegasus Spur but you just know it won’t be the last.

“He could end up an open class trotter because he is doing so much of this on one prep,” says Butt.

“He had a couple of starts for Prop [co-owner Phil Anderson] but he sent him out to me to train because he is such a big horse he struggled to get around Prop’s track.

“He has just gone from strength to strength and he has that gate speed which is such a big help.”

Butt says the Harness 5000 meeting on December 21 is the logical target for Donna’s Boy where he can race other four-year-old male trotters sired by stallions standing for less than $5000 over the 1700m mobile.

“I think after that I will give him a decent spell and that will do him the world of good.”

That will make for a busy weekend for Butt as he will also travel to Invercargill on December 19 so stable star The Lazarus Effect can tackle the Group 1 $100,000 Ascot Park Invercargill Cup, which he earned a ticket to with his brave last start second to Kingman in the Christian Cullen two weeks ago.

Donna’s Boy wasn’t the only four-year-old trotter to catch the eye at Addington with Princess Sadie seen in the unusual role of swooper in the opening race.

Like so many horses who have gate speed she showed she can be just as potent when forced to be driven with one run but while she hasn’t won a race over $100,000 (the Harness 5000 qualifying cut off) Princess Sadie isn’t eligible because her sire Muscle Mass stood as more than $5000 the year she was conceived.

Later in the night J T Boe had a good think about life before deciding he wanted to win the night’s feature pace in the style of a good pacer, albeit one who has a bit to learn.

He gave trainers Team Telfer three wins for the night as they move within seven of the long-held national training record of 168.