Anthony Butt has Make Way travelling a treat in tonight’s City Of Canterbury Council Cup at Bankstown. PHOTO: Ashlea Brennan.
An A Butt special lands Tommy by a whisker to keep unbeaten streak this season intact
By Barry Lichter • 22 November 2019
Make Way needed an Anthony Butt special to win tonight’s City Of Canterbury Bankstown Council Cup - and he delivered in spades.
For there’s little doubt that only the expertise of Butt got the little horse home in a nose decision so close that commentator Fred Hastings couldn’t pick it.
Drawn the outside of the gate on the tricky Bankstown circuit, Butt “chanced his arm” on release, powering forward to try to cross the favourite Always Flashing.
Anthony Butt brings Make Way back to scale after winning the cup. PHOTO: Ashlea Brennan.When that didn’t work, Butt didn’t panic, settling Make Way in the breeze.
“I would have been happy to sit parked all the way because he relaxed so well there,” said Butt.
“Then when Always Rockin came round at the mile and gave me the one-one that was perfect.”
Butt however found himself pushed three back in the running line when Maximus Red made a move from the back to sit outside the leader.
“That wasn’t ideal because I had to go sooner than I wanted to when Always Rockin was going nowhere.”
The winning of the race undoubtedly came when Butt was able to slot back into the one-one down the back and round the bend, giving Make Way a breather for 100 to 150 metres.
“You never know when you pull out what you’ve got left but he found plenty.
“It’s damn hard coming three wide round that last bend and that horse (Always Flashing) is hard to get past, but mine really dug in.”
Co-owner Duncan Chisholm, holding a framed photo of Make Way, with his mates at Mangawhai last night, all holding winning tickets on the horse.At the post there was nothing in it, Make Way getting the judge’s nod by the finest of margins, a result that had Northland co-owner Duncan Chisholm and his Mangawhai golf mates in an uproar. Most of them held winning tickets on the horse who blew out late in the betting to pay $5.90 on the tote and $5 on fixed odds.
Make Way’s winning time of 3:12.1 for the 2540 metres represented a mile rate of 2:01.7, great going considering the poorly cambered 805 metre track is not condusive to fast times.
“There aren’t many races that far over here but he’s such a great little stayer. He’s doing a great job and hopefully he can keep improving over the next six months.”
The win brought Make Way’s unbeaten sequence this season to four, the A$7622 stake boosting his haul in the last five weeks to A$26,082.
Butt’s partner trainer Sonya Smith now boasts the terrific stats of having lined up her favourite horse ‘Tommy’ 19 times for 10 wins and five placings.
“And there’s a lot to go yet,” says Butt. “Everything is going perfectly, he’s taking every step in his stride and winning good stake money and we haven’t chucked him in the deep end yet.
“We’ll keep picking out the right races for him but sooner or later we’ll have to go back to Menangle and take on the free-for-allers.”
* Make Way is raced by Duncan Chisholm, his brothers John and Dave, friend Warwick Orr, Auckland veteran Bob Best, the 10-member Excell syndicate, Amy Myocevich, Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street and their business manager Ian Middleton.
The official photo finish shows just how close it was.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
4.52pm
“She did a good job last week at Auckland. Throwing her in the deep end seems to have toughened her up a bit. She’s getting stronger all the time. This is a big drop in class and she’s a chance from a better gate (three).”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.20pm
“If the real Prince turned up he’d absolutely be hard to beat. If he leads, as he should do from two, he’s a different horse.”
Race 3: Major Copy
5.54pm
“Maurice just nursed him around on debut. He was stepping over tyre marks on the track so he didn’t want to launch him into the open too soon. We’ll put a shadow roll on him this time to stop that and I can see him going a lot better from the inside draw.”
Race 3: Jessie Lincoln
5.54pm
“I’m not saying she can’t win but it will be hard for Fergie to find a good trip from the draw. She’ll need a lot of luck but she can be right in it if things go her way as she’s training well.”
Race 5: Lincoln Dealer
6.49pm
“He’s been a slow developing horse and you can’t drive him pretty, he won’t let you, as he’s a bit of a hot head. Maurice will launch him and see where he ends up.”
Race 5: Spirit Of God
6.49pm
“She got tired late last time and started hanging a bit (hitting a marker) but I thought she went OK. She did a bit early (from a wide draw) and was still there at the finish so she’s going to win a race. You never know with second line draws but it’s usually a decent impairment.”
Race 7: Lincoln Maree
7.40pm
“She never runs a bad race. She has a big motor for a little filly and should be right in the fray.”
Race 7: Angelic Copy
7.40pm
“Maurice said she foundered a bit when they took off, and got three or four lengths behind, but she didn’t lose any more ground after that and held her place. So the run wasn’t as bad as it looked and she’ll be improved.”
Race 8: Lincoln Wave
8.14pm
“It was a non-event last time (from a stand) and he’s a good horse who will be vying for the lead from five and deserves to be favourite.”
Race 8: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.14pm
“Peter (Ferguson) said he didn’t feel as sharp last week as in the past so I’ve given him a little freshen-up with a light week and he should go better.”
