Champion trainer Tim Butt is bound for Victoria and can't wait to set up camp in Australia’s “spiritual home of harness racing”.
Butt has packed up his Menangle stable and is planning to get started in Sunbury at the property owned by Ahmed Taiba.
The New Zealand national moved to Sydney close to four years ago, and while he’s enjoyed an enormous amount of success since being there, he’s keen to forge a new career elsewhere.
Butt said he was upbeat about the positivity within the industry in Victoria.
“You can see what they are trying to achieve down there,” he said.
Butt is planning to bring 12-15 horses to Victoria to start the “boutique” stable and is hopeful of having his first runner following the shift in the Horsham Pacing Cup on March 28.
“We will probably look at bringing some nice horses out from New Zealand, quality horses. We won’t have bigger numbers.
“We are looking at probably getting back on the Grand Circuit and getting to those Hunter cups and Victoria cups and so on.”
Butt is set to arrive in Victoria today, with his wife Andie and sons Riley – a junior driver - and Rhys also making the move. Daughter Kate, who has done a power of administrative and media work for the team, will remain in Sydney.
The 53-year-old Butt is the leading Grand Circuit Series trainer of all time, having won the sport’s biggest races including the Inter Dominion Grand Final (pacers and trotters), Miracle Mile, New Zealand Cup, Auckland Cup and A.G. Hunter Cup.
Some of the great horses he has trained include household names such as Mr Feelgood, Lyell Creek, Take A Moment, Flashing Red, Mah Sish and Stunin Cullen.
Butt's brother Anthony, a champion driver, is training in partnership with Sonya Smith in Melton.