Bits N Bridles

Australian Glenn Holland was on the buyers bench at the recently held Lexington Sales in America where he paid $75,000 for a Captaintreacherous colt out of the American Ideal mare Jk Fineandandy.

Holland raced outstanding trotter The Locomotive which won 25 races including the 2024 Inter Dominion Trotters Final.

There are two feature races on the Addington card this Friday – The Group Two Lamb and Haywood ‘Canterbury Classic’ and the Group Three RD Butt ‘Canterbury Park Trotting Cup’.

The Canterbury Park Trotting Cup has been held since 1963 and the Butt name has figured prominently on the winners list.

Tomorrow night’s sponsor Robin (RD) Butt drove Tony Bear to win the 1972 Canterbury Park Trotting Cup while his father Wes Butt drove Johnny Gee to win in 1966.

Robin’s son David has won driving Call Me Now, (1994) Above The Stars, (1995) Stig, (2008) Dr Hook (2010) and Habibti (2014) while David’s son Bob won the 2024 edition driving Bet N Win.

Arapaho won the inaugural Canterbury Classic when it was called the Stars Travel Miracle Mile and was raced over 1609 metres.  He picked up $500 for his connections for bettering 2.06.0 for the mile, but missed a $2,500 bonus by 0.6 of a second. The second bonus would have been paid out if he had lowered Lordship’s 1-58.4 New Zealand record.

If Republican Party wins tomorrow night’s pacers feature, he’ll become the first horse to win the race three times.  Dual Classic winners have been Bonnies Chance, Elmer Gentry, Monkey King, Terror To Love, Lazarus and Republican Party.

Impressive Invercargill winner in track record time Cruise Maguire (Always B Miki) gets his chance to race against metropolitan company at Addington on Friday night.

The three year old gelding trained by Alister Black draws the pole in the $50,000 Listed Garrards Sires’ Stakes Sophomore and faces the likes of Franco Lomu, War Party and Nazare all of whom have drawn the second row in the 1980 metre feature.

The Kirstin Green trained Rocky Balboa (American Ideal) won’t be seen on the racetrack again this season.

The giant three year old was an impressive debut winner at Winton in early August but has had to be put aside after fracturing his hind cannon bone.

A similar injury to his other hind leg when he was two also curtailed the start of his racing career.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink