John Caldow has been engaged to drive Vulcan in the $A50,000 group one V L Dullard Cup at Melton on Friday night.
Anthony Butt, who drove Vulcan to finish second to I Can Doosit in the Interdominion Trotting Final at Melton on February 4, has returned to Perth to supervise Raglan in his preparation for the Interdominion Pacing series which begins there on Friday night.
"Raglan won a trial on Sunday. He has been in Perth for two months and has done really well," Tim Butt, the trainer, said.
Raglan ran second to Im Themightyquinn in the Fremantle Cup at his last start on January 20. He ran third to Smoken Up and Mr Feelgood in the Victoria Cup in December.
He won his trial at Byford in a 2.01.2 mile rate for 2150m (mobile) when driven by Chris Butt.
Caldow drove the Butt-trained Mister D G to win a $40,000 free-for-all at Gloucester Park in 2004.
Tim is heading to Sydney next week with Elusive Chick for the New South Wales Oaks.
Elusive Chick won a heat of the Sires' Stakes for 3yr-old fillies at Ashburton on Saturday in 1.56.7.
She is proving a bargain for the $3500 she cost Derek Jones on the third day of the 2010 premier yearling sale in Christchurch. The daughter of McArdle-Annie Jay has earned $67,000 in stakes, including $57,000 this season. She was first past the post in the $200,000 yearling sale races at Addington at her previous start, but was relegated to second.
Jones, a Christchurch farrier, prepared Elusive Chick to finish third in her first start as a 2yr-old.
She was then passed to Butt and the ownership restructured.
Jones now races Elusive Chick with his wife, Adele, Greg Ayers, of Christchurch; Gary McConchie, of Kaiapoi; and Gary and Karen Tomes, of Rangiora.
• Daryl Douglas will be offered the drive on Stylish Monarch in the Dullard Cup.
Nigel Milne, who drove the South Canterbury trotter to win a heat of the Interdominion at Ballarat this month, has been ruled out of the drive through injury.
"Nigel was injured on Sunday and I will try and get Daryl Douglas to replace him," Murray Tapper, the Levels trainer of Stylish Monarch, said.
Milne has been caring for Stylish Monarch at Bendigo since he finished eighth in the Interdominion Final at Melton on February 4. Stylish Monarch won a heat at Ballarat and finished third in the heat at Shepparton.
• East Taieri trainer-driver Alan Clark has returned to Victoria to supervise The Fiery Ginga for the Dullard after driving his 2-yr-old trotter at Addington last Friday.
The Fiery Ginga ran fourth in the Interdominion final after a heat win at Ballarat and a third at Shepparton. He has earned $28,000 in stakes in his campaign.
• Smolda continued his preparation for the Great Northern Derby with a dashing trial win at Addington yesterday, rating 1.59.5 for 1950m (mobile), the last 800m in 57.3.
• Te Rauparaha, an entrant for the Banks Peninsula meeting on Friday, won a workout on grass at Motukarara yesterday in fast time.
Te Rauparaha ran 2200m (mobile) in 2.45.1. Trained on the track by Murray Edmonds, Te Rauparaha has gained his two wins on his home track and finished fourth there at his last start on January 22.
• Star Of Van Gogh, a 5 length 2yr-old trial winner at Motukarara last Wednesday, has been entered for a heat of the Young Guns series at Alexandra Park on Friday night. The Art Major-Starlitnight colt is trained by Ken Barron.
• Valour Under Fire and Better To Be Bad also set track records at Waikouaiti on Sunday.
Better To Be Bad was 1.9sec inside the previous best time for 2600m (mobile) when she ran 3.16.6. Valour Under Fire took 1.sec off the mark for 1900m with a time of 2.27.
• Inferno, the well-performed mare, has joined the Matamata stable of Ken Kelso.
"It is her last season and with the weight she was getting down here, I felt she was worth sending north," Brian Anderton, her Wingatui trainer and co-owner, said.
Inferno has won eight races including the group three weight-for-age Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) at Riccarton in April.
The 6yr-old daughter of Yamanin Vital-Emerald Fire has finished second in the Clare Memorial Cup and third in the Gore Cup in recent starts.
