Butt was substituting yesterday for his cousin, David, who was in Auckland to drive Malak Uswaad in the prelude for the 2yr-olds bred to northern hemisphere time. Anthony has retained the drive on Jazmin Robyn tomorrow.
David and Catherine Butt train both horses at Woodend Beach. It was the fourth win for the 4yr-old Jazmin Robyn since she cleared maiden ranks at her first start for the season at Oamaru in January. She has raced 16 times during that period.
She is raced by a Christchurch group, Craig Nicholson, his brother, Marty, Jeffrey and Michelle Lee, and Paul Wilson, on lease from Tapanui breeder Graeme Edgar. The owners have a right of purchase.
Craig Nicholson flew from Auckland yesterday to be on hand for the race. He had been to Auckland on business. He raced Final Offer, winner of the 1988 Kaikoura Cup when driven by Butt. Nicholson raced Final Offer with Sefton trainer Rodger Sharpe.
Jazmin Robyn is by Life Sign and the second foal of Robyns' A Holmes, an unraced half-sister by Holmes Hanover to Robyn's Treasure, winner of the 1994 New Zealand Oaks and Sires' Stakes Final.
Butt has won the Nelson Winter Cup with Blechnum Grove, trained by Graeme Anderson, in 1991 and the Peter Jones-trained Media Man in 1993. Butt also drove Maia to win a maiden trot yesterday.
Maia, trained by Tim Butt, is a 4yr-old half-sister by Armbro Invasion to Vulcan, winner of the 3yr-old trotter section of the Harness Jewels the previous Saturday.
Their dam, Epona, has also left Lotsa Speed (1.56.6 in America). Vulcan and Maia are raced by breeders Jenny Butt (mother of Tim and Anthony) and Don McKenzie, of Rangiora.
Trainer Robbie Holmes has three horses in the cup tomorrow after the win of Puerto Escondido yesterday. Holmes also has Another Homer (third yesterday) and Scot's Courage.
He also won yesterday with Rojam Cullen, a brother to Kiwi Ingenuity (Christian Cullen-Kiwi Express), winner of 11 races and $424,000 for the stable. Kiwi Ingenuity is due to resume jogging next week after surgery in February for the removal of a bone chip from a knee.
Rojam Cullen is raced by Ram Reddy, of Auckland, with Hamish Scott and Kim Lawson, the owners of Kiwi Ingenuity.
Scott and Lawson sold Rojam Cullen for $48,000 at the 2007 premier yearling sale. Rojam Cullen had a third in two starts from the stable of Ken Barron as a 3yr-old last season.
Rojam Cullen had sore feet and he was then tried at a beach environment in the North Island. Reddy had Rojam Cullen gelded and gave a half share back to Scott and Lawson in April to facilitate the horse being trained by Holmes.
• Dexter Dunn, who drove Kentucky Women and Black Mambo to win at Richmond yesterday, has surpassed 500 wins as a reinsman.
Dunn reached 500 when he drove Elation Franco at Forbury Park on June 3. His tally stood at 505, including three in Australia, after the Nelson meeting. The 20-year-old, in his fourth season, leads the premiership with 148 wins.
• Garrett Newton drove his first New Zealand winner when he teamed with Carabella in the northern hemisphere-time prelude at Alexandra Park last night.
The filly unwound late to eclipse the colts and geldings.
Carabella, trained by Brendon Hill for Robert Famularo, won her other start at Oamaru on May 23.
The $100,000 race for 2yr-olds bred to northern hemisphere time is next Friday.
Newton (22) linked with the Hill stable at Kaiapoi in March. Hill made his acquaintance with Newton when campaigning Monkey King and Baileys Dream at the Interdominion.
Newton was previously based in New South Wales where he drove 78 winners.
