Our Sky Major
YOU could never call trainer Barry Purdon and reinsman Zac Butcher “lesser lights”
Yet these two emerged from the shadows of trainer Mark Purdon and champion Kiwi reinsman Dexter Dunn to win the $200,000 Form 700 Chariots Of Fire with Our Sky Major.
Big brother Barry took home a feature as well as his younger brother Mark while Butcher showed why he was almost as highly-rated as Dunn with a dashing display to win with Our Sky Major.
The feature race for four-year-olds is one of the highlights of the TAB.COM.AU Inter Dominion Grand Final day and Our Sky Major made it even more special for the Kiwis – who were on a roll in the races leading up to the Inter Dom.
While $3 favourite Bling It On worked to the front early doors, Butcher refused to panic with Our Sky Major, despite racing without cover for most of the 1609m.
Turning for home Butcher quickly put Our Sky Major into the hunt and could afford several sustained looks over his shoulder to check how his rivals were doing back in the field. He knew he had Bling It On covered as the son of Art Major raced away to win handsomely in a slick 1:51.5 mile rate.
“Barry has stuck by me in these big races and it’s nice to take some cash home to New Zealand,” grinned the effervescent Butcher after scoring a 2.6m win.
