Racing: Butt concerned Raglan may not be in peak form

Champion Canterbury trainer Tim Butt fears Raglan may be the latest victim of a virus than has wreaked havoc with some of New Zealand's best stables.

And that could cost the exciting pacer his winning chance in the $80,000 Easter Cup at Addington on Saturday night.

Raglan has recently returned south after a strong Auckland Cup week but has carried an unwelcome visitor home with him, a minor virus which has left him just below his best.

Several other major New Zealand stables have had horses suffer from the same strain in recent weeks but because it has not totally flattened their horses it has made trainers' decisions difficult.

"It knocks them just a bit and affects their white blood cell counts but not so bad they can't race," said Butt.

"I think a few guys have had it through their teams and it just puts you on the back foot.

That is how Butt views Raglan heading into Saturday night's race, a feature he would be ultra competitive in at his best.

"This is a race which suits him because he is a good stayer with good manners," said Butt.

"But now we are thinking maybe he is just not right enough to win it.

"To win at this level you have to be right in the zone so you can take the work to be fit enough to show your best, whereas with him I have had to ease back on his work since he got home from Auckland."

While Raglan may not be the threat off the front line he could have been in this race a month ago, the Easter Cup still provides punters with an intriguing puzzle.

Baileys Dream and Bettor's Strike stand out statistically from their 15m backmarks, with the 3200m giving them plenty of time to make mid-race moves and still be competitive.

Baileys Dream was goofy when winning at Addington last Friday but tends to concentrate better with horses around him and will have big-race driver Todd Mitchell back in the sulky on Saturday night.

The best each-way bet though is Bettor's Strike.

He was a close-up third after sitting parked last Friday and has the best 3200m form of the season for this race, pushing Monkey King so close when second in November's New Zealand Cup.

If he reproduces that form on Saturday night he is the horse to beat.

The field contains plenty of talented stayers though, with Highview Tommy, Lord Forbes, Vi Et Animo, Second Wind and Sleepy Tripp all having recorded huge staying performances on occasions this season.

Meanwhile, while Butt is not so thrilled with Raglan heading into Saturday night, he couldn't be happier with The Muskeg Express, who contests the Sires' Stakes heat.

Last season's Karaka yearling sales topper justified that $155,000 price when he came from a seemingly hopeless position to win his debut last start.

"He is a really nice horse who I am glad we didn't push too hard early in the season," said Butt.

"He is going to be a far better 3-year-old because he is a big horse but I think he will be up to most of the good juveniles this season.

"I am not saying he will beat a horse like Major Mark when they meet but he will be up to the rest."

The Muskeg Express will have to concede in-form Major Obsession a big start from their respective draws on Saturday, suggesting the latter should start a deserved favourite.

The other feature of the night at Addington is the $25,000 4-year-old trotting championships, set to be dominated by the wonderful Mark Purdon-trained pair of I Can Doosit and Pocaro.