By Jonny Turner
Cantabrians Kimberly Butt and Derek and Adele Jones made history of their own when Eurostyle dominated the inaugural running of the Group 3 Dark Horse Trot at Invercargill yesterday.
It was a case of horse, trainers and driver all breaking through for well-deserved maiden group race victories when Eurostyle cleared out from her rivals in the newly minted trotting feature.
Butt added to her family’s incredible legacy in New Zealand’s trotting history books courtesy of a heady winning drive with the five-year-old.
The reinswoman has driven Eurostyle in each of her 22 starts and she was quick to thank the Joneses and their co-owner Sandy Cunningham for their faith in her.
“I can’t thank Derek, Adele and Sandy enough for putting me on this horse,” Butt said.
“She has always been a lovely mare and I am just rapt that she can get a big one.”
The 2200m distance and the handicaps of the Dark Horse Trot made for plenty of intrigue leading into the event.
Butt was among those wary of how challenging a 10m handicap could be.
But Eurostyle’s smart beginning meant the driver’s initial plans went straight out the window, with Butt taking the race to two of the favourites, in Rush and Samantha Ottley and Aroha Kenny and Ricky May.
“I sort of thought going into it I might have to drive her for a sit and see if we can get into it later.”
“I probably just ended up handier than I thought I would be, three back on the outer.”
“Sam [Ottley] eased going into the straight and I thought I would whip around and she just travelled really good.”
“Ricky came up outside me but I was just travelling too well.”
In winning, Eurostyle capped her strong form in trotting features including her recent fourth in the Group 3 Jasmyn’s Gift Stakes, and second in the Group 3 DG Jones Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup, while she also continued her quick rise to the top grades.
“She won a few pretty quick early, just natural ability got her there,” Butt said.
“She still had to work things out a little bit, up in the grades.”
“She is just such a nice horse, a big powerful girl and she is just lovely.”
Vale Wayne “Ox” McEwan
Another trotting event at Ascot Park on Sunday provided an emotional victory for trainer-driver Kirstin Green.
Green raised her whip toward the skies as she crossed the line to win with Samanthas Moon in the colours of the late Wayne McEwan.
McEwan was a successful and respected owner, breeder, trainer and sponsor who made a significant contribution to southern harness racing before his passing on Thursday.
McEwan was late to the training ranks, setting up in 2011. He had 15 wins. He had his first double from his Te Anau stables in November 2022.
Green worked closely with McEwan, with the pair racing many horses together.
Among them was Tommy Waterhouse, who won both the Listed Uncut Gems Gelding and Entires Classic and the South Of The Waitaki Event on Show Day at Addington in McEwan’s colours.
McEwan worked for Ryal Bush Transport (and latterly HW Richardson Group) since the 1970s and saw Ryal Bush Transport flourish into one of the largest operators in the country. He started out as a truck driver and worked his way up the business to eventually be a long-standing director and part owner.
A celebration of Wayne’s life will be held at Transport World, Tay Street, Invercargill on Friday, October 25 at 11.00am.