Manners key for Butt pair

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk

Woodend Beach trainer Bob Butt will take two trotters to Addington Raceway on Friday night and he believes if they bring their manners they are both winning chances.

Six-year-old mare Gold Chain recovered well after breaking in her 2600m contest at the Christchurch track last week to finish fourth, and Butt put her early indiscretion down to gear.

“I was rapt with her run last start,” he said. “It was a really good field and I was hoping she would go a good race against them. She had that little mistake early, but it was a bit of gear that caused that.

“I had a crupper on her that I usually race her in, but she hadn’t had it on for a while and she didn’t like it much.”

Gold Chain had won two of her previous three starts, placing in the other, and Butt is hoping she can return to her winning ways in the McMillan Equine Feeds Mobile Trot (1980m) on Friday.

“She is quite a nice mare, she has been going good times,” he said.

“You always need a bit of luck and I think she is the best horse in it, but it makes it a bit harder over 1980m off the unruly. If she can get a good run they will know she is there.”

Butt will also line-up KD Hawk in the HRS Construction Mobile Trot (1980m).

The five-year-old son of Andover Hall had strung together a win and two placings before breaking at Addington last week, costing him all chance in his race.

Butt will have his fingers crossed that KD Hawk brings his manners on Friday night, and if he does Butt believes he will figure in the finish.

“He didn’t trot as well last start,” Butt said. “He just needs to be in the right headspace.

“Hopefully he can bring it on Friday night and he will be a chance in that field. He just needs to bring his manners.”

Meanwhile, Butt is looking forward to next season with Group One-winning trotter Heavyweight Hero after his autumn campaign was curtailed through illness.

“He had a virus so I had to tip him out for the season,” Butt said. “It was a bit close to all of those big races coming up, where you have got to be 110 percent.

“We will aim him at the spring again.

“He went great through the whole spring last year, he never went a bad race. He is a lovely horse, he tries his guts out and he has got good manners as well.”