There was nothing to be disappointed about with the third placing of Lyell Creek against the best trotters in the United States, says his New Zealand trainer, Timothy Butt.
The champion New Zealand trotter dead-heated for third in the $US243,000 ($605,000) Titan Cup at the Meadowlands track in New Jersey on Saturday.
Lyell Creek was 2 1/4 lengths from the winner at the finish but did well for his placing, after getting back in the field from a wide draw of seven in the nine-horse field.
He had drawn the same marble in his United States debut, a Titan Cup elimination the week before, where he came fifth.
Butt, who has remained in New Zealand while his brother Anthony carries out the training duties in North America, is confident the best is yet to come from the horse.
"He just needs a bit of luck," said Timothy Butt. "The first and second horses drew two and three."
Lyell Creek was credited with a time of 1:53.6 for the mile, which is two seconds faster than his New Zealand record of 1:55.6 set at Ashburton in October.
Butt said there were two reasons why he believed the horse could only improve.
The first was that all his races in the United States were from mobile starts.
Before he left for his current Northern Hemisphere campaign, which included four starts in Scandinavia, Lyell Creek had raced only eight times from a mobile in New Zealand and Australia.
A second factor was that most racing in North America is over a mile. Lyell Creek had raced only five times over a mile before leaving for the northern hemisphere.
"He's definitely as good as them," Butt said.
"He seems to be getting better; he's progressing in the right direction. everyone's more confident he can win a big one up there now."
Lyell Creek's next target is the Nat Ray at the Meadowlands on August 5. It carries a purse of $US500,000.
Elimination heats of $US50,000 for the Nat Ray are run at the Meadowlands on July 14.
"As soon as he gets a good draw and he's at his peak, he's going to be hard to beat," Butt said.
Saturday's race was won by Fool's Goal who posted a time of 1:53.2. The six-year-old last year recorded a world record for an older trotter when clocking 1:52 for a mile.
A head back second was Monte Hall with 2 1/4 lengths to Lyell Creek, who dead-heated with Magician.
Lyell Creek came from seventh on the home turn for his placing and Anthony Butt, also the horse's driver, said it was a top effort in the circumstances.
"We weren't really in it. He ran home super. He's getting better and better.
"I hope he continues that way. You just need racing luck."
- NZPA
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