By MICHAEL GUERIN
That winning feeling made a welcome return for the Butt brothers yesterday.
Trainer Tim and driver Anthony Butt left Alexandra Park stunned on Friday night after the shocking effort of their exciting juvenile Mark McGuire.
The previously undefeated youngster never got into the $75,000 Juvenile Championship and finished a long way from the winner All Hart. He will undergo tests today in an attempt to explain the defeat.
"He went terrible and I can't see any reason for it," said Anthony Butt.
That drubbing came just 24 hours after the Butts' Interdominion trotting hope Take A Moment galloped in the straight and finished last when resuming at Addington.
"He was going to win easily but just tried to go too fast when I pulled the plugs," said Butt.
"It was similar to what he did at Alexandra Park during the Auckland Cup carnival so we will look at making a gear change on him."
But whenever things go bad the brothers know they can always rely on Lyell Creek.
The champ returned to work at the Pukekohe trials yesterday and easily won a heat which was stronger than most group one races.
After starting from a 30m backmark Lyell Creek sat parked for the last lap before beating Mountain Gold by two lengths, with Sundon's Way third. Former Interdom champion Special Force blew out after leading in his first serious test for nearly a year.
Lyell Creek races in the $30,000 City Of Sails Free-For-All on Friday night as a lead-up to $100,000 Rowe Cup on March 30, when the Auckland Trotting Club will host a huge farewell for the millionaire trotter before he heads to Scandinavia.
The other star of yesterday's trials was three-year-old Young Rufus.
The Sires Stakes Final runner-up beat some high-class older opponents with a 27.4 second last 400m in a 2600m standing start trial.
"I am very happy with the way he has come up," said trainer Mark Purdon.
"He needed the little break he had after the Great Northern Derby and has freshened up well."
Young Rufus resumes at Alexandra Park on Friday on his way to Addington for the New Zealand Derby on April 14.
His arch-rival Franco Heir heads for the Derby too after missing the Victoria Derby with leg problems.
Now trained in Victoria by Jayne Davies, Franco Heir resumes today in a class two race at Yarra Glen.
Meanwhile, Victorian trainer Ted Demmler may be forced to look for a New Zealand driver for glamour mare Tupelo Rose.
Last season's Filly of the Year returns to Auckland next week for the Mesenger Championship but Demmler, who has driven over 3000 winners, will miss the race after being suspended for four weeks.
Racing: Thanks to Lyell, Butts' winning feeling's back
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