Donna’s Boy wins trotting feature

Donna’s Boy (Pegasus Spur) looks to be one of a group of emerging talented trotters.

The Bob Butt trained squaregaiter headed into last night’s trotting feature at Addington in a fresh state, having last raced at Ashburton in December. He had just two trials under his belt, but that didn’t matter.

“I knew he had the ability to go with those horses but being fresh up makes it hard. All those horses were battle hardened. Luckily his ability pulled him through,” Butt said.

After beginning like a rocket, Butt took the five year old straight to the top before he handed up to One Over Da Line.

“He was always going to be one of the ones to beat so I thought he’d be a good one to trail.”

Turning in, Butt elected to move Donna’s Boy away from the inside markers rather than take the passing lane.

“I was always travelling good but One Over Da Line is very fast so I didn’t know whether I would be able to pick him up. But for a big horse he’s (Donna’s Boy) got a lot of speed.”

In a tough old battle up the home straight Donna’s Boy got in the deciding stride to beat One Over Da Line by half a length with He’s My Creation a length and a half back in third.

DONNA’S BOY REPLAY

The win was the gelding’s fifth in just twelve starts.

“Last prep he was a maiden, so he’s come a long way quick. Hopefully with a bit more racing he can harden up.”

Donna’s Boy, who was bred by Gerrard Cayford, was originally trained by his owner Prop Anderson before he headed to Woodend Beach.

“Prop’s always had a big opinion of him but because he’s such a big horse he thought the beach training would suit him.  I think he was having a bit of the problem going round the bends at his place because he’s so big and gangly. I was lucky enough to get him.”

And quite a bit has changed in the last twelve months.

“He used to have half hopples, a shadow role, a nose flap. He had just about everything really. He was always a lovely gaited horse but he’d muck around a bit so that’s why we had the half hopples on him.”

The next target for Donna’s Boy is the $50,000 Listed NZB Uncut Gems Trotters Classic at Addington on 15^th May.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink