Kyabram-based and former Tasmanian trainer Kristy Butler has brought four-year-old gelding Cuzzy Bro back to Tasmania for Sunday night’s Tasfreight Raider Stakes Prelude (2200m) in Launceston.
The gelded son of Ultimate Machete has won six of his 26 starts, including his last two efforts, the most recent at Bendigo on 18 June, where he recorded a career best winning mile rate of 1:54.0s for the 1650m distance.
“Just about every run he has had over here, he has been the fastest last half in the race. It has been a bit of a change for him learning to race in tempo racing. It is high-tempo over here, which we aren’t used to in Tassie.
“I think he has taken another step this year as a four-year-old; he has been racing metro horses and has been doing a good job against them,” explained Kristy Butler, whose husband, Marc, has travelled to the state with the pacer.
“He seems to have travelled well. He didn’t travel well when he went back last year for the Globe Derby, so we sent him down early.
“Hopefully, we get a better draw in the final (after drawing barrier seven in the prelude), hopefully he can lob in a nice spot and hit the line good,” said the trainer.
Butler said she and her family have enjoyed the move to Victoria and will continue to bring horses to Tasmania for suitable races in the future.
“We are really happy, it’s a different lifestyle, getting to pick and choose when you want to race. We are really busy with race horses, pre-trainers and breakers, and my (Equine sports therapy) business is really taking off, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Those that contest the Raider Stakes Prelude will be first selected for the $60,000 final on 20 July, with eligible horses, such as Fighter Command, able to fill up vacant slots until the field limit is reached if connections desire.
It’s a similar story for Tasbred 4YO mares in the Ladbrokes Granny Smith Prelude (2200m), where another former Tasmanian, Bradley Walters, brings Le Betty back to contest the series.
The filly will be driven by James Herbertson, who leads the Australian Drivers Premiership for the 2025 season, and he has been well-travelled in recent months, winning races in the United States and Europe.
Herbertson has several other drives across the program, including former Tasmania Cup winner The Shallows in the $20,000 Bevan Lee’s Butchery Golden Mile (1680m).
Meanwhile, there is strong Tasmanian interest in this year’s Inter Dominion that commences with the first round of heats at Albion Park on Saturday.
Some of those that have a Tasmanian link include:
Pacers
Heat 2:
2. Jorge Street, trained and part-owned by Bianca Heenan, and driven by Mitch Ford.
8. Nyack, Tasmanian bred and owned by Barrie Rattray, Lyndon and Deborah Dakin, trained and driven by Tasmanian-born James Rattray.
Heat 3:
5. Whereyabinboppin, trained and driven by Tasmanian-born James Rattray.
7. Max Delight, raced by Mick Maxfield.
Trotters
Heat 1:
3. London To A Brick, trained and driven by Tasmanian-born James Rattray.
6. Parisian Artiste, trained and part-owned by Tasmanian-born Alex Ashwood.
