Make Way and Anthony Butt return to scale after winning the Bankstown Cup last start. PHOTO: Ashlea Brennan.
Cranbourne Gold Cup big step-up for Make Way who’s just the new kid on the block
By Barry Lichter • 5 December 2019
Saturday night’s A$60,000 Cranbourne Gold Cup might be six months too soon for Make Way but top horseman Anthony Butt still believes he can be very competitive.
Make Way, as the lowest rated runner on R88, has dawn the ace in the Group II race over 2555 metres and comes up against the might of the Emma Stewart stable which has five strong chances.
But while he has to take on Stewart’s Grand Circuit runners Code Black and Phoenix Prince, both R120, and Tam Major (R115) it’s another of that team drawn directly beside him that Butt says holds the key to the race.
“Hurricane Harley’s a wee superstar who’s been a great age group horse and he’s the obvious leader from two.
“There’s not too much else on the front row you’d want to hand up to.
“If Hurricane Harley holds the lead, and we trail, I think we could fill a hole. But it depends on what pressure there is during the race.
“It’s going to be a hard race for him to win - he’s only a four-year-old who’s the new kid on the block - and he’s never been against these horses before, some of whom are already racing on the Grand Circuit.
“But I’m hopeful he’ll be competitive and with the right trip it wouldn’t surprise me if he was right there at the finish.
“He keeps stepping up with every race and we can’t hide him forever. And while it might be six months too early for him, it’s a nice race for this stage of his preparation and a good stepping stone for later on.”
Anthony Butt and partner, trainer Sonya Smith.Butt has been in New Zealand this week driving in the Interdominions and will catch a Saturday morning flight to Melbourne to team up with partner Sonya Smith.
Smith and her No. 1 horse Make Way are due to begin their nine-hour 865km float trip from Menangle to Cranbourne at 4am on Friday morning.
Butt is not expecting the long trip to affect Make Way who has won all four of his starts this season.
“He travelled further than that up to Queensland last campaign and won the Redcliffe Cup as soon as he got up there.
“And he’s 110%. We took a blood during the week and it came back perfect. We couldn’t be happier with him - he bounced out of his Bankstown Cup win and has been training great.”
Cranbourne is a 946 metre track, with a 221 metre home straight, Butt describing it as similar in style to Cambridge, with long straights and tightish turns.
Make Way races at 11.37pm NZ time at Cranbourne on Saturday night.
More news in Harness
Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie
No Jumals to beat this time at the Park so Ray’s looking for Lincoln Wave to roll in
Lincoln Linda best of the night at Cambridge - she has the engine to cross Soul Artist
Cheapie Johnny Lincoln a “proper” racehorse who can foot it with the Million bluebloods
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
