My Field Marshal storms home
Michael Guerin
in Sydney The Kiwis have stunned the harness racing world in record fashion but not with the horse everybody expected.
New Zealand trainer Tim Butt and his brother Anthony (driver) won the A$750,000 Miracle Mile at Menangle on Saturday night with My Field Marshal in an Australasian record 1:46.9 mile.
That tore 0.6 of a second off the record set by Have Faith In Me in the same race two seasons ago as My Field Marshal wore down Victorian pacers Jilliby Kung Fu and Soho Tribeca.
But while New Zealand won the race New Zealand’s champion pacer Lazarus was the flop, finishing unplaced for the first time in his 45 start career, beating only one rival home.
After being below his best with a virus last week he was simply run off his feet from the wide draw, with trainer Mark Purdon making no Mark Purdon on Lazarus excuses. “When you are three wide at that speed you have no chance,” said Purdon.
Immediate plans for the champ are undecided with a decision on whether he races on to tackle the Easter Cup to be made this week.
But one thing is for sure, Lazarus will definitely be back next season to aim for a third New Zealand Cup at this stage.
Saturday night’s race wasn’t about his defeat but a beautiful Butt plan that saw My Field Marshal stalk the speed and storm home late to grab victory in the last 20m.
“I thought Ants might have left it too late but I know better than to doubt him,” beamed Tim. Both Butt brothers have moved to Australia in recent years to rejuvenate their careers, with Tim setting up shop at the Menangle track so the win will be a stunning advert for his new stable.
“This is very satisfying because this horse has had two wind operations, which is why we chose to set him for this race rather than go to the Inter Dominions and Hunter Cup.
“But this is a race that has eluded us. Till now. And it can’t do any harm for our new venture over here, that’s for sure.
“And while everybody was talking about Lazarus during the week, we knew we had a chance if they went hard.”
The 1:46.9 mile was the seventh fastest paced in harness racing history but the writing was on the wall for a super fast time when veteran trotting mare Maori Time trotted 1:51.5 winning the main trot, clipping a massive 1.7 seconds off the old Australasian trotters mark.
The harness racing group one circuit now moves to Alexandra Park for the next two weeks, starting with the Northern Oaks this Friday night.