KEY POINTS:
The harness racing season may be nearly a month old but for Tim Butt it really begins tonight.
Butt and his training partner, Phil Anderson, have had a few horses racing over the winter months, which in itself is rare.
But mainly they have been horses battling through the grades or having joined the stable from trainers in the deep south who ran out of opportunities when harness racing in their local area shut down.
Tonight's Addington meeting sees the return of the first of the spring racing team from Premier Stables and two in particular look hard to beat.
Mountbatten will be a hot favourite in the first leg of the $100,000 guaranteed Pick6 and should win.
A former smart three-year-old trotter, he missed last season through injury so comes back assessed as only a one-win horse.
He looked far better than that winning at the Rangiora trials 10 days ago and an early gallop would seem his greatest danger in race five.
"He is a very nice horse who has high cruising speed," said Butt.
"When he stretches out he looks like the sort of horse who could go through the grades."
Mountbatten should do just that and tonight's biggest concern is that the race is a 2000m standing start, which means any comeback jitters early in the race will be hard to overcome.
"He missed away for five strides at the trials last week but came down again pretty quickly so he will have to be hard."
Butt is just as confident with Black Saint, who will be a similar hot favourite in race seven.
He won by 4 1/2 lengths without being extended at the Rangiora trials last week and looks considerably better than maiden grade.
"He's a very good type who had a setback but is better than this grade," said Butt.
"It is pretty much the same for both him and Mountbatten. They will get better with racing but look a bit too good for most in this sort of company."
Butt rates the pair his best two winning chances tonight but he also warns punters not to dismiss Smokey Mickpot in race nine.
His form was not flash before winning in a weak Forbury Park race last start and he does step up in grade tonight.
"He has only been with us a few weeks but he has a nice way of going and I wouldn't be surprised if he went some good races," said the trainer.
The stable continued to wheel out their big guns at the trials this week, with Tribute winning at Ashburton on Tuesday. "We are happy with him and he will race at Addington in a few weeks," said Butt.
Former Rowe Cup winning mare Inspire also performed well at the Ashburton trials, while defending Auckland and New Zealand cups champ Flashing Red has settled in well to his old environment after returning from Australia.
Tests have cleared him of any sign of equine influenza after he travelled here from Australia last week and he is in full training.
But the stable's best mare, Foreal, has had her planned trip to Queensland delayed and she could remain in Auckland, where she was waiting to head to Australia. "A lot will depend with her on what happens in Australia with the EI but she could even race at Alexandra Park next month."
