Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
A decision by Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Chris Voak to change James Butt’s gear paid dividends when the eight-year-old revealed brilliant gate speed and set a fast pace to win the 1730m Specialised Equipment Funding Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I put a Murphy blind on him in a bid to prevent him from hanging when racing on the pole,” explained Voak. “And he didn’t hang at all on the pole, even at the start, and that allowed him to show more gate speed.
“After starting from 30 metres in a 2503m stand the previous week, I trained him specifically for the mile this week, giving him a couple of one-mile heats, American style, to get a bit more speed out of him.
“I didn’t have a real plan for him tonight. I thought he could be outgunned at the start. But he felt very sharp in the warm-up and I was happy to race straight to the front.”
After solid opening quarters of 29.4sec. and 29.8sec. James Butt, the $8.40 third favourite, sped over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 28.4sec. to coast to a two-and-a-half victory over Master Yossi ($9.50), with Gran Chico ($23) running on from fifth at the bell to finish third, more than a length ahead of the $2.15 favourite Arma Einstein, who was beaten for early speed and raced in the breeze for much of the event.
James Butt, who rated 1.54.2, has overcome serious leg injuries and now has raced 51 times for 11 wins, 17 placings and $138,865.