By Michael Guerin
The money Kourtney Kardash earned winning at Alexandra Park on Thursday night was spent before she had even made it back to the winner’s circle.
Because trainer Shane Butcher and driver Monika Ranger, who owns the mare on lease, have had something even bigger to celebrate in the last week.
The popular couple have bought their first house with the deal only recently finalised and while they are thrilled to get on the property ladder anybody who has their first mortgage knows, spare cash becomes a thing of the past.
“We bought a four-bedroom place in Pukekohe and we are really stoked,” says Butcher.
“It is so great coming back to our own place at the end of the day, I’ve even found myself outside looking after the lawn.”
So the timing couldn’t have been better when Kourtney Kardash recorded her second win on Thursday while Ranger also drove Itaintnecessarilyso to win the first race for trainer Ross Paynter.
Ranger races Kourtney Kardash on lease from Woodlands and Butcher officially trains the filly in what is more of a team effort.
Ranger works at Lincoln Farms and is making a good name for herself as a driver while Butcher is flat out as a farrier for some of the north’s biggest stables.
Kourtney Kardash has always looked a good filly and has even taken on Millwood Nike a couple of times, incuding finishing sixth in the Northern Oaks in March.
But even after beating some talented rivals on Thursday she won’t be heading south to take in Millwood Nike again in the NZ Oaks.
“She is better off staying up here when she can race every couple of weeks and earn good money,” says Butcher.
“I think she can keep improving, she should be fitter for tonight and with the good money on offer now we don’t need to be going down south to take on Millwood Nike or Zac’s filly (Mantra Blue).”
Other highlights at Alexandra Park included Jasinova recording career win No.14 for Dr Luk Chin, with the lovely little mare still only a five-year-old and with the potential to end up one of Chin’s most prolific winners.
And Tony Herlihy’s talented pacer Dontstopmenow made it four wins from six starts in the main handicap pace and clearly isn’t finished winning yet.
