The script was ripped up but a patient hand and talented horse restored order as Belle Of Montana and reinsman Zach Butcher plucked a prized Victorian crown.
The Kiwis were dominant in Saturday’s Lazarus Victoria Oaks for trainer Barry Purdon, withstanding a series of challenges to career clear via the sprint lane and capture the $150,000 prize.
“It’s just exciting to come over here and take a bit of your money,” Butcher told TrotsVision after the 4m victory produced the biggest pay check of the Bettors Delight filly’s career.
Belle Of Montana was deep in red betting figures as soon as the ping pong ball number one was randomly plucked for the visitor, with consensus forming that she’d lead and win.
But by the first turn Todd McCarthy had guided Miss Streisand to the lead from gate four for Roy Roots Jnr, with Butcher almost immediately guiding Belle Of Montana off the pegs to retake the lead.
Back to plan A, that is until Kualoa and reinsman Chris Alford – eying an unprecedented 100th Group 1 win – launched three-wide at the first available opportunity and advanced to the breeze and then hurried to the lead, with Butcher content to give his favourite cover.
“I went out with plans to lead and lead the whole way, but races change and you never know what’s going to happen out there and you just have to adapt to the situation,” Butcher said.
“I thought Chris (Alford) was the perfect man to hand up to, the perfect horse and he got us right to where we needed to be.”
Running the second quarter in 31.2 seconds, Alford gained a good grip on the race as they opened up down the back in 28.4 seconds, but ultimately Butcher and his Belle had far too much in the tank.
“She’s done the rest, when I dropped and whipped those plugs out of her she really accelerated and did it quite easily in the end,” Butcher said, having praised the filly’s top end speed but also her ability to adapt and settle.
“I really chased her up out of the gate and then I zipped back round again and not at any stage of the race did she pull, over race or do anything silly. She’s got the whole shooting box going on, just a real great attitude to racing and speed, that’s what you need to win these big ones. i think she will go on with it as well.”
HEAR FROM SATURDAY NIGHT’S WINNING DRIVERS WITH THIS WEEK’S ALL CLEAR:
