Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Three years ago the connections of James Butt were informed that the New Zealand-bred gelding’s highly promising career was in extreme doubt after he suffered serious damage to a suspensory ligament.
He was not sighted for 17 months, and then after one trial he damaged the suspensory ligament to his other fore leg — and the verdict was that he would never be able to race again.
However, star reinsman Chris Voak, who had driven James Butt at his first 17 starts in WA for six wins, four seconds and one third placing, refused to accept what appeared to be the inevitable.
The gelding was sent out to spend time recovering in a paddock, and Voak never lost his faith that he would be able to get him to recover and race again. Voak’s patience, his unswerving faith and his loving care during many months of rehabilitation have paid off, and finally, after a 30-month absence James Butt returned to racing last August.
“James Butt came back after triple suspensory trouble and I gave him six starts (between August and October last year) before giving a spell,” said Voak. James Butt was unplaced in those six runs, and he resumed after a three-month absence on January 13 when he set the pace and was challenged hard before wilting to fourth behind Pierre Whitby.
At his second appearance in his current campaign James Butt started from the No. 1 barrier and was the $2.30 favourite in the 1730m Retravision Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
James Butt set a fast pace with quarters of 28.2sec., 29.1sec., 28.5sec. and 29.6sec. and won by just over a length from the $34 chance Special Lady, who finished strongly from sixth at the bell. James Butt rated a smart 1.54.4.
James Butt looks set for further wins. He raced 20 times in New Zealand for three wins and eight placings, and his WA record stands at 25 starts for seven wins and five placings. He is by American sire Big Jim and is the seventh and last foal out of the Sokys Atom mare Birchbrook, who had six starts in New Zealand in 2003 for one win.