Christchurch trainer-driver David Butt will have two cracks at winning a provincial cup with Dartaway over the next few days, beginning with today's Rangiora Cup.
Butt, who has a great strike rate with his small stable, will be busier than most over the next few days.
Last night he was driving in Derby meeting at Alexandra Park before returning home for the Rangiora Christmas meeting.
If Dartaway fails in the Rangiora Cup, he gets another chance in the $15,000 Ashburton Cup on Tuesday.
However, today's task off 10m behind in the class four and faster Rangiora Cup should prove to be the easier of the two assignments facing the promising Holmes Hanover five-year-old.
Only a chequered run from the unruly mark kept him out of a placing in last Sunday's feature mile at Methven.
He was doing his best work at the finish to run fourth behind Eastwood Jaunty who recorded a time of two minutes.
Dartaway has won five of his 11 starts to date, and could not have been any more impressive running eight lengths clear of Bruzem to win fresh-up at Addington on December 7. He recorded a slick mile rate of one minute 57.2 seconds for the mobile 1950m on that occasion, and looks headed for the best classes.
Franco Storming By, a solid-finishing second in the Methven mile, Waimate Cup winner Critical Judge, and the consistent Dashing Dave, look his main dangers.
Sundowner Bay looks well placed to give sidelined driver Michael de Filippi an early Christmas present by winning the class five and faster Canterbury Draught Trot.
De Filippi, who trains Sundowner Bay, is still unable to resume driving after being troubled by blurred vision. Stable employee Karen Williams, who drove Sundowner Bay for a last-start fourth behind Lyell Creek in the Dominion Handicap at Addington, retains the drive.
Sundowner Bay, who has won his only race start on the Rangiora track, should hold an edge over the in-form mares Pure Adrenalin and New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All winner Sunny Action.
- NZPA
Racing: Two shots lined up at a provincial cup
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.