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
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.14pm
“She tries hard and is getting stronger. She just needs a trip to be right there.”
Race 3: Copy N Paste
6.16pm
“Maurice said he got a bit tired on debut but I didn’t expect a lot. Four months ago you’d have wondered if he’d ever qualify. He’ll improve on that - he’s improving all the time - but from seven he’ll have to go back and come into it late.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.14pm
“She’s up in grade but is a chance again if she can get a good run up the front of the field. It was a good effort last time to break 2:43.”
Race 8: Lincoln Maree
8.49pm
“She’s trained on OK and, while no champion, has to be a chance down in grade against the amateur horses.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Jessie Lincoln
6.57pm
“I can’t see her beating Sammy Lincoln but with a good draw at last you’ll see a better performance. She’s capable of finishing in the first three.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.57pm
“She bolted in at the workouts, leading out from a wide gate and getting home in 27.9. She’s a great driving little mare and has good manners. I could see her winning one very soon.”
Race 4: Sammy Lincoln
6.57pm
“I know we’ve said it before but he has been unlucky a few times and, all things being fair and square, it’s hard to see him beaten. The draw is awkward but everything points to him winning. There are no derby horses in there and he went a great race in the Northern Derby last start.”
Race 4: Marylynes Boy
6.57pm
“He’s a tidy little horse. I can’t see him winning from the (second row) draw but he’s like Spirit Of God, he’s not far away from winning one.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.25pm
“He’s been a late developer. You can see it in his growth, his withers have finally popped up, and he’ll get better as time goes on. He’s no champion but he should be a handy horse through winter. He’s capable of stepping away fairly well.”
Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.25pm
“It’s a toss-up between the two of them. Sugar Ray is a bit stronger perhaps but Leo is very good from a stand. You can forget that last run in the Messenger - he was only in there to help get the race off the ground.”
Race 7: Prince Lincoln
8.25pm
“He finally showed us what he’s got last week. Inside second row draws can be awkward - you’re at the mercy of the others - but he could end up with a good trail behind the leader.”
