By Michael Guerin
Young driver Seth Hill will get a golden opportunity to impress his new boss at Addington tonight.
Not that Bob Butt isn’t already impressed.
Butt trains The Lazarus Effect, one of the more promising pacers in Canterbury and a $2.50 favourite for the IRT Thanks Bettors Delight Pace at Addington even though he faces a second line draw in the big field.
Hill will do the driving for the first time tonight. If The Lazarus Effect wins with the talented junior driver in the cart he only gets half the rating points so would stay on the front line for his next big aim, the NZBS Sales Series Pace at Kaikoura.
“And I have no issues handing Seth the reins,” explains Butt.
“He is a good young driver who has been working for me for about a month and a very good bloke so we are enjoying having him here.”
The Lazarus Effect wore down race rival tonight It’s Tough the last time they clashed and is favoured to do so again tonight, with Butt also having stable newcomer Donmaro in the race.
“Rodger [Austin, former trainer] sent him out here to try something new and I really like him,” says Butt.
“I can see him going a good race and even if he can’t win this he is worth following.”
Butt takes a strong team to the races tonight even if his most favoured ones face difficult draws.
He rates Tactical Bid (R5, No.17) a future open class trotter although admits tonight’s race has its own challenges with a huge field and the three-year-old being on the unruly in the 2000m stand.
He has one-eyed pacer One Eyed Bandit in the Janice Guerin Memorial as the three-year-old tries to stay remain unbeaten at his second start.
“He has a heap of speed but also a lot to learn,” says Butt.
“He can win but obviously it is a big field so he will need a bit of luck.”
Yet another Butt-trained rep in Gold Bullion is favoured in the IRT Thanks Grego Trot, which is not actually what the race is called but everybody knows who that means.
Gold Bullion starts off the 20m mark in another huge field and Butt admits he has been disappointed with the big boy who has at times looked open class material.
“He was good two starts ago but not so good last start but I have freshened him up and I think he can improve.
“But he will need to as it is a big field and he has to give Confessional a 10m start.”
Tonight’s meeting starts with the $45,000 Macca Lodge Sires’ Stakes Classique Trot which has only drawn a field is four and will have unbeaten filly Duchess Maria as everybody’s early multi anchor.
