Zac Butcher is the in-form reinsman for a two-race contest at Oamaru today after driving four winners at Palmerston North yesterday.
Six father-and-son combinations of reinsmen and one mother and daughter compete in the contest at the Oamaru heritage race meeting to mark 100 years of harness racing for the club.
Butcher (18) and his father, David, from Cambridge, are competing.
Zac is in his second full season as driver.
He won the New Zealand Junior Driver Championship at Addington in June.
His father has driven 1515 winners, including Elsu (Interdominion Final) and Changeover (NZ Cup).
His stakes tally last season was $2,327,964, a record.
Zac has the drives on Tumundal and Artique today.
Tumundal was a winner two starts back at Forbury Park.
Artique won at Ascot Park on October 20 in the first of his two starts.
Doctor Jock, the winner of four races as a 3yr-old last season, is among the rivals for Tumundal with David Butcher the driver.
Doctor Jock is resuming from a five and a-half month break. He won first up at Gore last December.
• Guv'nor, who resumes racing at Washdyke on Sunday, won a trial at Ashburton yesterday.
Guv'nor won at Forbury Park and Waterlea last season from 10 starts as a 3yr-old.
Smiling Shard, the star 2yr-old of last season, won a trial yesterday. He has not raced since winning the Breeders' Crown at Melton in August.
Lookslikeatrooper, the 4yr-old son of CR Commando-Speculate, won a trial for trotters.
He was gelded after serving I'm Returning last November.
She has foaled a colt.
Results. -Weather, fine; track, fast.
Qualifying test, pacer, 2400m: Willie V C R May 1; Majestic Cullen 2; Clifton Flier 3. Six started. Hd, hd. Time, 3.09.6 (first five qualified). Trainer, D Anderson.
Qualifying test, trotters, 2400m: Continental Xpress J Dunn 1; Margaritaville 2; Castleton Maggie 3. Five started. Nk, 4L. Time, 3.19.8 (first two qualified). Trainer, J Howe.
Qualifying test, pacers, mobile, 2400m: Shelbyville M Jones 1; Three Sugars 2; Sky Pilot 3. Seven started. L, 16L. Time, 3.06.8 (first two qualified) Trainer, A White.
Two-year-old pacers, one mile: Major Obsession K Barron 1; Thumpem 2; The Cotton Club 3. Five started. L, hd. Time, 1.59.9. Trainer, K Barron.
0w pacers, mobile, 2400m (first heat): Tony Christie J Versteeg 1; Sign Maker 2; Guernica 3. Four started. 1L, hd. Time, 3.03.9. Trainer, J Versteeg.
Second heat: Arvee Bromac S Smolenski 1; Tintara Prince 2; Sure Swift 3. Six started. Nse, nk. Time, 3.11.2. Trainer, W Fletcher.
1-3w pacers, mobile, 2400m: Smiling Shard D Dunn 1; Rare Surprise 2; Isinbayeva 3. Six started. 1L, 2L. Time, 3.09.5. Trainer, C Dalgety.
0w trotters, 2400m: Proud Quilt L O'Reilly 1; Lord Tavistock 2; Natural Dash 3. Six started. Nk, 2L. Time, 3.17.7. Trainer, L O'Reilly.
0w pacers, 2400m (first heat): Lively Atom G O'Reilly 1; Fletcher Christian 2; I'll Be Damned 3. Five started. 8l, l. Time, 3.12.1. Trainer, G O'Reilly.
Second heat: Franco Czar J Dunn 1; I'm Simply Red 2; White Dot Hanover 3. Seven started. 4L, 3L. Time, 3.10. Trainer, R Dunn.
0w trotter, 2400m: Lookslikeatrooper J Smith 1; Gold Reply 2; Jazzy Ado 3. Five started. 2L, 11L. Time, 3.17.5. Trainers, J and L Smith.
1-4w pacers, 2400m: Guv'nor R Butt 1; Aim Aloof 2; Quattro Del 3. Ten started. 1L, hd. Time, 3.09.4. Trainers, D and C Butt.
1-6w trotters, 2400m: Beat The Monarch 10 J Dunn 1; Shezadorabil 10 2; Jinja Gal 3. Five started. 1L, 1L. Time, 3.12. Trainer, J Howe.
• The New Zealand-bred Saucy Legend won the $A60,000 Newcastle Mile at Newcastle on Saturday night.
Saucy Legend, a 5yr-old gelding by Live Or Die from Chevaux Star, ran the mile in 1.53.8.
Karloo Mick, Be Good Johnny and Washakie are in the field for $A50,000 Cordina Sprint (1760m) at Harold Park on Friday night.
The winner is guaranteed an invitation to the Miracle Mile nine days later.
