Confident Butt backs Bet N Win to go all the way in Inter Dom

[Wandering Eyes]

Bob Butt is letting his mind wander.

An easy win on night one for Bet N Win and another great barrier draw in the second round of heats on Saturday night have Butt excited about tackling Saturday week’s $500,000 Grand Final.

And who the main danger might be.

Other than unexpected change of training bases when Bet N Win first arrived in Queensland, everything has gone superbly for the young trotting star during this Aussie raid.

“Even having to change bases because of the beach situation near Vic (Frost) and Gail (Geeson) was more of an inconvenience for us than the horse,” co-trainer David White said.

“He’s been terrific all the way, from Sydney to Brisbane and through his two races.

“They’ve been ideal races to get under his belt as things start to get more serious.”

Butt couldn’t agree more.

“He raced well and felt great,” he said. “It’s terrific to have another nice draw in what looks a winnable race again this week.

“He’s really showing he’s one of the top chances in the series.

“In saying that, I thought Arcee Phoenix was fantastic on the first night and he’s the one I look at as the horse to beat.

“I’d think we’d need him to have some bad luck, whether it’s in the barrier draw or the race itself, to beat him in the final the way he’s going.”

Bet N Win, who is $1.60 favourite to win again this week, doesn’t have to contend with Arcee Phoenix on Saturday.

The Victorian star and TAB Trot winner will instead clash with the other Kiwi raider, Oscar Bonavena, in the last of the trotting qualifiers (race five).

And it’s a race with layers.

Oscar Bonavena was one of the stories of night one after finishing a desperately unlucky seventh and driver Adam Sanderson putting his hand up for a howler of a drive.

Mark and Nathan Purdon have “stuck fat” and backed in Sanderson to atone on night two.

It is a fair call given his overall record and the superb way he’s driven the likes of Oscar Bonavena and Rubira through this Carnival.

Oscar Bonavena will probably need a top two finish to be assured of a final berth after being so far down the points table after night one.

But he will need to be on his best behavior from a draw which would suit many but probably not him.

Oscar Bonavena will start from the pole and he has shown several times he can gallop at the start from inside draws on the front row.

In another twist to the race, Arcee Phoenix will start from directly behind him (gate eight). His trainer-driver Chris Svanosio will be really wary of Oscar Bonavena at the start and careful not to strike trouble if he makes a break.

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