Racing: Couple harness training title

By MICHAEL GUERIN

David Butt hates that old line "behind every good man there is a good woman".

Because in New Zealand's new champion stable, he says it is the other way around.

Butt and his wife Catherine will be crowned New Zealand's training premiership winners at the annual harness racing awards dinner in Christchurch tonight, having wrapped up the title at Addington last night.

That makes Catherine the first female to win a training premiership in New Zealand. To do so she and David had to defeat future hall of fame trainers Mark Purdon, Barry Purdon, Geoff Small, Tony Herlihy and their own cousin, Tim Butt.

Because Catherine only joined her husband in partnership three years ago it is easy to assume David is the senior partner.

But he says the reality couldn't be further from the truth.

"Cath is the one who does all the work," says Butt, "she works three times harder than me."

While it would be easy to dismiss that as a husband trying to stay in his wife's good books, Butt makes sure you get the point.

"I wouldn't have geared up a horse, even put on a bridle, on race day for two years.

"Not only does Cath do the hard stuff at home, she takes care of all the important stuff on racenight because I am driving.

"She gears them up, looks after them, talks to the owners, does the accounts.

"And when we are at home she makes sure the horses are ready to go. All me and the boys do is drive them on the beach.

"Really, I'd be stuffed without her."

That Catherine Butt has improved her husband as a trainer is hardly surprising. Racing has been her life, and she is the daughter of former trainer John Thompson.

She drove at the workouts before she was married and still drove fast work until a training accident last year tore three ligaments from the bones in a leg.

"That was when I realised just how valuable Cath was to the whole operation. I couldn't risk her getting injured again because the place doesn't work without her."

The Butts' careers turned around four years ago when they moved to a property on Woodend Beach. That was when David was struggling with two horses - at stages this season the couple have trained up to 30.

They have been swamped with requests to train mainly lower grade horses who have started to struggle. David believes the change to beach training has helped rejuvenate them.

"Sure, it is easier on their legs and joints but I think it is the mental freshness that the beach brings out in them which is the most important part of it," he says.

The beach training is tough though. While Canterbury in winter is not many people's idea of a holiday, a Canterbury beach at 5am on a winter's day would test anybody's resolve.

Yet the Butts have had their resolve - not to mention their marriage - tested far more severely in the past.

That was in 1992 when David went to prison for a year after being convicted of cultivating cannabis in one of their stable blocks, a sentence he could have avoided, or at least had reduced, had he informed on his partners in crime.

His mouth stayed shut and so did the prison door.

"Cath stuck by me and I've put that behind me now. It was a long time ago and I am over it all.

"But don't bring it up around Cath. She hates it being mentioned."

Not that Catherine Butt has much time to talk about the past.

When she is not running the stable she is raising their two children.

And the quality of horse flesh the pair train means there is a lot of travelling to be done, taking David away from home.

Of course, when you ask Catherine about her remarkable dual role as champion trainer and super mum she just laughs.

"I just do what I am told. David is the brains of the operation," she says.

She admits she is looking forward to a night off tonight and a chance to reflect on her historic achievement.

"I suppose it is special when you think about it, but I enjoy every win, not just the premiership.

"The thrill the owners get out of them makes it a real buzz for us too.

"But to be the first woman to do it is great. And we beat a pretty strong field when you look at the other big names.

"But we are a team and I am just one member of that."

The most important member. And the one who just made history.

* David and Catherine Butt finished the season on 79 wins. Mark Purdon won twice at Addington last night for a season tally of 75.