Tartan Robyn (Maurice McKendry) is four lengths clear and coasting to the line at Cambridge tonight. PHOTO: Angelique Bridson.
Merv’s Tartan Robyn flies at Cambridge but his next flight will be to Melbourne
By Barry Lichter • 8 April 2021
Tartan Robyn had his flight to Australia booked long before he turned tonight’s feature Cambridge race into a blitzkrieg.
Owner Merv Butterworth, keen to exploit the myriad of opportunities afforded a pacer of Tartan Robyn’s calibre in Victoria, says the horse will be on a plane to Melbourne on April 28.
“I can place him far better over here,” Butterworth said from his Melbourne home. “He’ll win a lot of country races.”
Tartan Robyn will join the successful stable of Kerryn Manning who already has eight of Butterworth’s racing team.
“What I like about Tartan Robyn is he’s a Bettors Delight and is still untapped.”
Butterworth said Tartan Robyn had been dogged by bad luck since he sent the horse north to Ray Green at Lincoln Farms, bad draws and bad trips disguising some excellent runs.
“He’s gone plus or minus 2:40 in just about every race he’s been in at Auckland. I finally said to Ray let’s put him in at Cambridge as he’s better left-handed.”
Merv Butterworth … placing horses where they can perform best is his forte.And the result was never in doubt from the moment driver Maurice McKendry saw the three wide train coming 1500 metres from home and pounced out of the one-one to wrest the lead.
Butterworth, held up in traffic on the way home from his office, made it to his TV with one minute to spare - and was glad he did.
“I’ve never seen Macca drive with so much confidence. Every time he turned around to have a look he couldn’t find any dangers. He even smiled!”
Running away in the home straight, Tartan Robyn scored by four lengths from the unlucky, late closing Jack Tar clocking impressive closing sectionals of 55.8 and 27.4.
His mile rate for the 2200 metres was a slick 1:57.2 with the trip run in 2:40.3.
It was Tartan Robyn’s sixth win from 47 starts and took his bankroll to $48,112.
Butterworth hardly had time to calculate his winnings from Tartan Robyn’s $5 winning dividend - Green had been confident about his chances - than his calculator was busy again when She Reigns ($4.10), whom he part owns with trainer Graeme Rogerson, scored by an even bigger margin in the next race.
After making a lightning beginning from the 40 metre back mark for driver Dylan Ferguson, She Reigns found the one-one and, when the brakes were released, skied away to a four and three-quarter length win.
The five-year-old Monarchy mare clocked a sizzling 3:24.3 for the 2700 metres, just four tenths of a second outside Pretty Majestic’s national mares’ record.
“That was good business tonight,” Butterworth said.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
