Steam Punk a work in progress - but there’s definitely more in the tank

Easy Auckland winner Steam Punk has the ability to win more races quite quickly - but trainer Ray Green has some experimenting to do first.

“He’s still a work in progress,’’ says Green of the three-year-old who led all the way to score in only his second race last Friday night at Alexandra Park.

While the win might have looked clinical to most, Green could see Steam Punk putting in a few fancy steps in the running, observations confirmed by driver Zachary Butcher on returning to scale.

A little rough and uncertain in his gait, Butcher told Green he kept a good grip on the horse even up the home stretch, sensing he could make a mistake if pressured too much.

“You can’t knock a winning performance but he did only go 2:46.7,’’ says Green.

Zachary Butcher brings Steam Punk back to scale.“I’m sure there’s a lot more there but we need to sort a few little things first. I’ll be doing a bit of experimenting with him before he lines up again.

“I’m still learning about the horse but when we can get him pacing 100 percent and ask him for more, he should win two or three more races quite quickly.’’

Steam Punk has been at Lincoln Farms for only a month after being sent north by Australian owner Merv Butterworth.

He showed this nervy nature on debut on November 30 when he lost the plot after being hunted hard out of the gate, galloping out of contention.

Green was immediately on to that, deadening him down for his next start with a fixed deafener and blinds.

The horse also wore different hopples last Friday after Butcher reported they felt a little tight the previous week.

Green is not convinced they got the hopple length right second time either, the straps looking a little long.

“I’ll school him up a bit in the next week, and adjust the hopples, and hopefully next time we can give him a bit more confidence. But he is very green and nervous - he’d jump if you dropped something beside him.’’

Zealand Star is last but under a big hold by David Butcher with nowhere to go.Earlier in the night Green was left lamenting about the bad luck encountered by Butterworth’s second runner, Zealand Star, who never saw clear air in the run home and was hard held by David Butcher at the line, last but only 3.7 lengths from winner Solid Gold.

Butcher followed instructions not to burn the five-year-old early, Butterworth looking for a “Herlihy-like marker hugging drive” to allow the sit-sprinter to shine late.

But Butcher was trapped four deep and was still three deep turning for home, gaps never eventuating as his “death grip” tightened on the horse the closer he got to the post.