Butcher to Grin and bare it in sauna
Star reinsman won’t sweat on a plan for big Race in case it doesn’t all work out
Superstar reinsman Zachary Butcher has a plan ahead of tonight’s $1 million Race by Grins and is happy to tell everybody about it. “I am going to go for a run, have a sauna and then get a big night’s sleep,” says Butcher matter-of-factly.
But what about the race itself and more specifically Merlin’s role in an early speed battle that could decide the slot race?
Well, that is a different story because Butcher says as much as punters would love to know his race plan, he doesn’t have one.
“There is no point me planning or overthinking the race because so much depends on what happens in that 50m before the start and 50m after it,” says Butcher.
“We all might think we know what is going to happen. and I am sure plenty of people would love to think they are on the horse who will lead.
“But the reality is it is not that easy to predict and if you go out there with one plan you can undo your horse.
“With gate speed, in particular, so much depends on how keen and ready your horse feels and that can change from race to race.
“It is the same for your rivals. I will be checking how the others around me are scoring up and then how they leave the gate but I can’t know whether Don’t Stop Dreaming or Speak The Truth will fly the gate or feel a bit sluggish.
“So I will just react when it happens. What I can control is my prep and if I go for a run, have a sauna and get a good night’s sleep I’ll be ready to do my best. We will work the rest out later.”
Butcher’s relaxed attitude to the pacing race everybody has been waiting for may frustrate some punters who thrive on bold driver statements to give them confidence but he is also, of course, correct.
While some horses, particularly in Australia, are one-trick ponies who fly the gate at the start of their races,
most horses are like most humans in that some days they love their jobs and other days we just turn up and hope nothing bad happens.
The three best chances in tomorrow’s thriller are Don’t Stop Dreaming, Merlin and Speak The Truth and if any of that trio led without too much fuss they would be hard to catch.
But if two drivers want the same spot for long enough they could be undone and then the one of the top trio who stays out of the burn holds the ace.
That could come down to the early
energy spend being just 100m too long, especially if it lasts more than the opening 200m and into the first bend which is always more taxing.
While Butcher is honest enough to admit he doesn’t know what is going to happen, he can rest assured Merlin is ready for the race of his life if cotrainer Scott Phelan’s words are anything to go by.
“I think the hard runs sitting parked have brought him on and I think he is better than ever,” says Phelan, who trains in partnership with Barry Purdon.
“We never tell Zac what to do but
I will be telling him is we think we now have the best horse in the race.”
Tonight is a remarkable turnaround for Purdon and Phelan who have never had a horse in the Race by Grins but now have three starters, the others being Mach Shard and Sooner The Bettor.
“It is pretty amazing to have three in it, I have never even been to the Race by Grins meeting,” Phelan says with a laugh.
“I’m driving Mach Shard and I will drive him for luck and hope they go hard while Sooner The Bettor’s draw really won’t help him.”
The two other Purdon/Phelan runners are like so many of those outside the big three tomorrow: hoping something crazy happens early and they get the lucky breaks late.
If that does unfold, Self Assured and Better Eclipse are the likely beneficiaries as horses who have been there, done that at the highest level.
But it is hard to see three wonderful horses and their drivers all having an off night so the reality is at the end of The Race the connections of either Don’t Stop Dreaming, Merlin or Speak The Truth will be the ones grinning.