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David Butcher gets Bettor My Dreamz home with a copybook drive at Auckland tonight. PHOTO: Joel Gillan/Race Images.

Ray keeps the winners coming for Merv - and Merv keeps the horses coming for Ray

Melbourne owner Merv Butterworth admits Ray Green has trained so many winners for him in the last few months that he’s lost count.

But don’t for a moment think that tonight’s winner Bettor My Dreamz, his seventh individual winner from Lincoln Farms’ Pukekohe base, will be the last.

Butterworth, who has won 10 races with horses he has sent up from the South Island, plans to boost his numbers in the north even more in the next few months.

Owner Merv Butterworth.Owner Merv Butterworth.Headed Green’s way soon are:

* Classie Reactor, who has won two races in the last month for Grant Payne and

* Honor And Glory, winner of two of his three starts.

And in pre-training with Brent Barclay and Lauren Pearson are two unraced three-year-olds who will first have to prove themselves in Southland before earning their tickets north:

* Perfect Beauty, a Bettor’s Delight filly out of Nitouche Franco and

* Motu Tiger’s Eye, a Bettor’s Delight colt who is a half brother to 16-race winner Motu Crusader.

Butterworth has honed his New Zealand operation with a three tier progression.

“Robin Swain runs the pre-school, Brent Barclay mid-school and Ray Green high school.

“I send up the good horses who are suited to Auckland but they’ll all end up in Australia eventually because of the awful handicapping system here.”

Trainer Ray Green with Bettor My Dreamz, his seventh individual winner for owner Merv Butterworth. PHOTO: Joel Gillan/Race Images.Trainer Ray Green with Bettor My Dreamz, his seventh individual winner for owner Merv Butterworth. PHOTO: Joel Gillan/Race Images.Bettor My Dreamz joins the ever growing list of Butterworth’s Southland graduates who have scored in the Lincoln green silks - Just Wing It (three wins), Zealand Star (two), The Empress, The Bull Pen, Governor’s Bay and Steam Punk.

The only one who has not delivered at Alexandra Park is Kiwi Bloke, a stand start specialist who was quickly dispatched to Perth and is training well for Ross Olivieri.

And while the team has won $140,000 in Auckland, Butterworth says it’s not the money that drives him.

“I don’t count the dollars, just the wins. My bush accountancy tells me that so long as I average three wins a week I don’t lose money.”

With horses spread all over Australia, as well as New Zealand, few weeks go by when he doesn’t make his target - tonight he had multiple runners in Auckland, Ballarat and Perth.

Green’s skills in preparing Bettor My Dreamz again impressed Butterworth tonight.

“It was a matter of getting him fit and used to the Auckland way of going and the rest simply unfolded - thanks to a beautiful drive by David (Butcher).

“And judging by that win there will be a few more.”

The ultra patient approach adopted by Butterworth with all his charges again paid dividends- tonight’s $11 win dividend one he cashed in on.

Bettor My Dreamz was looking like a real up-and-comer with Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen last year, winning two of only four starts, when he hit himself and had a “bit of a joint and lump on a leg”.

Veterinary advice was to give him a spell.

Bettor My Dreamz comes back to scale. PHOTO: Race Images.Bettor My Dreamz comes back to scale. PHOTO: Race Images.“So I gave him a very, very long break,” said Butterworth.

Now four, Bettor My Dreamz looks ready to make up for lost time, judging by the authority of his win tonight.

Though only a head to the good of Delightful Major at the line, he was holding strongly after enjoying a perfect trail behind stablemate The Empress, another Butterworth rep.

His overall time of 2:42.4 was also solid, a mile rate of 1:58.8, with closing sectionals of 57.2 and 27.7.

The Empress looked an improver in her first run for more than a month. After doing plenty of work to find the front she felt the pinch 75 metres out but still battled bravely for fifth, only two lengths from the winner.

Our runners this week

Saturday night at Albion Park

Argyle.

Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Friday night at Auckland

Race 1: Lincoln La Moose
5.43pm

“Drawn well, he should get a good trip and be the one to beat. He got held up at Cambridge last time and these amateur races are easier to win.”

Race 1: Commander Lincoln
5.43pm

“The form line doesn’t show it but he actually went ok last time, they just sprinted and left him flat-footed. He’ll go his usual honest race.”

Race 2: Angelic Copy
6.16pm

“She and Linda train and trial together and are much more forward than the others. She’s a proper little tradesman who can do whatever you want and she tries hard.”

Race 2: Prince Lincoln
6.16pm

“He’s not as forward as the fillies. He’s still learning and can do nothing but improve.”

Race 2: Lincoln Lover
6.16pm

“He’s another who will benefit from the experience but he’s by Bettor’s Delight and they tend to lift their game when the money’s up.”

Race 2: Rivergirl Bella
6.16pm

“She has a bit of speed but is not as tractable as Linda - she doesn’t handle the corners quite as well and might be a little better left-handed. But she’s as good as any of them at the moment and, in the small field, should get her chance.”

Race 2: Lincoln Linda
6.16pm

“Though drawn the outside, she should really be the one to beat, based on her trial. She’s quite a strong filly, who is well gaited and should go forward. Maurice (McKendry) has driven her two or three times and he likes her.”

Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.08pm

“He should be dangerous against what is not a wonderful bunch. He trialled well, a nose behind Lewey Maguire (home in 56.4). All three of mine are nice horses and should be right there.”

Race 4: Tyson
7.08pm

“He was laying in on the corners last time at Cambridge and it was just a sprint home. He needs to be driven a bit more aggressively - he’s gone his best races when he’s been put in the race. Remember he sat parked when third to Arna’s good one (Chase Me) in December. He can tough it.”

Race 4: Colonel Lincoln
7.08pm

“He’s training down well, as good as you could expect. He’s done nothing wrong in three starts back. The outside draw is an inconvenience but, when he slots in, he won’t be far off them.”

Race 7: Kevin Kline
8.38pm

“He got held up last time and the winner got away on him. He should get a nice trip from one. He’ll go another honest race and will be in it for a while.”

Race 7: Debbie Lincoln
8.38pm

“She could be quite a nice filly. The way she’s developing I think she’ll be competitive against the better fillies later in the year. She’s quite versatile and can race tough. She has a lot of potential.”

Race 7: Frisco Bay
8.38pm

“He’d be on a par with Debbie for speed but he can get a bit carried away. Hopefully he can get a nice suck into it. I can’t fault the way they’re training and whichever of the two gets the best trip should win.”

Race Images - Harness