Racing: Zeuss Bromac steps up for Butcher at Alex Park

Zachary Butcher to show one of his weapons at Alexandra Park tonight. Photo / Greg Bowker

Zachary Butcher has tasted enough success in Australia to know the weapons needed to win there.

And he is going to show one of those off with Zeuss Bromac at Alexandra Park tonight.

Butcher has had a dream start to what could loosely be termed his training career, with Zeuss Bromac his first starter and already a Harness Jewels placegetter.

Not that Butcher is setting up shop as a trainer, Zeuss Bromac is the only horse of his own he works at boss Ray Green's Lincoln Farms property, his hobby horse after his job.

In just three starts Zeuss Bromac has gone from unknown to a contender for next month's rich Breeders Crown in Victoria, and Butcher admits the nerves associated with training are vastly different from driving

"I have driven in a lot of group one races and remain pretty calm but I was really nervous before his last start here cause he was a big chance to give me my first training win," he admits.

Zeuss Bromac did just that and steps well up in grade tonight but has the barrier one — and the speed to use it.

"It is not ideal taking on horses up to rating62 but I think he is still good enough to beat them," says Butcher.

"And barrier one will help. He has really good gate speed and having driven a lot in Aussie I know how important that is, especially for staying handy at Melton, where the Breeders Crown final is.

"So we will use that this week to get him used to running the gate.

"And it won't bother him taking on older horses this week because he is even better than last start. Like a typical Bettors Delight, he is getting better with every run."

With most of the big-name New Zealand juveniles set to miss the Crown, Zeuss Bromac will join the Green-trained Perfect Stride as the only Kiwi male pacers in the freshman series, which in a change this year sees all heats, semis and the finals held in Victoria.

"I'm thrilled to be taking him across there, it is awesome," says Butcher.

"When I took him down to the Jewels (Addington) after just one start I had some people tell me I was wasting my time but this is why I am in racing, to race in the biggest races."

Butcher says because Zeuss Bromac is improving with every start he could well race again at Alexandra Park's next all-mile night on July 26 before heading to Australia.

While he is just starting the next phase of his potentially big-money campaign, trotting mare Kenny's Dream provides the other star turn at Alexandra Park tonight as she ends her season.

The winner of four of her five starts at Alexandra Park she faces a tricky 35m handicap but so steep has her improvement curve been she can win again, with Sunny Glennis the most likely danger.

Kenny's Dream's trainer-driver Tony Herlihy looks to have a mortgage on tonight's main pace too, with The Moonshadow and Blazen River giving him a powerful one-two punch.

Harness weekend

• Alexandra Park and Addington both race tonight.

• There is a $40,000 terminating turbo Pick6 across the two venues.

• Princess Tiffany heads the Kiwi assault on the 3-year-old riches at Albion Park tomorrow night.