Barbarossa blows them away at Cambridge

By Jordyn Bublitz 

The "trooper" that is Barbarossa produced another dominant display at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night.

Trainer-driver Benjamin Butcher allowed Barbarossa to ease back in the early stages of the Hire A Venue At Cambridge Raceway Mobile Pace.

With 1600 metres to run, the pair made their move, sweeping around the field to take control of the race. From that moment, the result never looked in doubt.

Once in front, Barbarossa quickly turned the race into a one-horse show. With 900 metres remaining, he began to stretch the margin, pulling away from his rivals and ultimately running them into the ground. 

The gelding stopped the clock with a slick 1:56.7 mile rate and crossed the line an emphatic 10½ lengths clear of the field.

The victory marked Barbarossa’s second win in succession, having produced a similar front-running display at Cambridge on February 19 where he also went  clear of the field over the final half.

“Going two in a row feels pretty good, and it’s great for the owners," says Butcher. 

“I’ve been getting messages saying how fun it is to watch him run like that, and it’s just as much fun for me driving him as well. Brings a bit of excitement to the races.”

Interestingly, Butcher explained that the bold mid-race move that has become Barbarossa’s recent trademark isn’t necessarily something he is consciously planning.

“To be honest it’s not anything I’m doing, he hits the wheels of the sulky and gets up on the job. When he does it you’re a passenger.”

“When we got to the top he was moving along pretty good, and when we hit the 900 he hit the wheels and we were off!”

“There was no point in stopping him so we ran them into the ground instead.”

“He’s a champion, never takes and more out of himself than what he needs too. He’s such a warhorse, you can race him throughout the whole year and forget to give him a break because he handles it so well.”

“He’s a trooper.”

Looking ahead, Butcher said plans for Barbarossa remain flexible, although a trip north could be on the cards.

“It’s hard to pinpoint where I’m going to go next, we might go to Ruakaka for the pacing cup there. His options are a bit limited now because his rating has gone up a wee bit.”

“My in-laws are up those ways as well, so it’s good to take a few up so they can watch them go around. They enjoy following me, so it would be good for them to see it live.”