Racing: Top pacers hold no fears for Butt in bid to qualify Raglan for cup

Tim Butt is putting his money where his mouth is in a last-ditch attempt to get Raglan a start in next Friday's $500,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup.

The Canterbury trainer is adamant he has the horse power to back his decision up.

Butt will start Raglan against the established open-class stars in the NZ Herald Free-For-All at Alexandra Park tonight, even though he would have been a dominant favourite in an easier race earlier.

The reason is Butt is certain Raglan, who has won only six races, is a genuine open-class horse, sooner rather than later.

"I think a hell of a lot of this horse and I think people might be surprised how good he is. He is a very good stayer and he deserves a shot at the Auckland Cup.

"And while this isn't an easy race to win, our horse is fit and ready whereas some others might be using it as a lead-up for the Cup. We definitely aren't."

Raglan was a huge third in his Alexandra Park debut last Friday, trucking home after settling last through an early gallop.

"And they went too slow for him in the middle stages too. I think his run wasn't much inferior to Tintin In America."

Butt brings two other stable reps with hot winning formlines to tonight's meeting in Choise Achiever (race six) and The Tower (race 10).

Choise Achiever has looked talented but has the worst draw to overcome against Russley Rascal in the first Woodlands Derby prelude.

"It will be hard to beat Russley Rascal because he probably looks like he is going to lead," said Butt.

"But I am really happy with my horse. He has thrived on this trip and we still don't know how good he is.

"I am not saying he will beat Russley Rascal but we will be giving it a crack because it isn't just about qualifying for the Derby for us. We want to go in there still unbeaten."

Like Choise Achiever, The Tower trialled well at Alexandra Park last Saturday and is rated an open class trotter of the future. "He will be a better horse next season but I think he is up to most of these horses. Whether he is good enough to beat I Can Doosit will be the question."

As for Sunday, Butt is hoping for a strong pace to give stable star Mr Feelgood any chance in the Interdominion Pacing Final.

"He is going good races but a lot of it will come down to the how hard they go.

"Still, that was the case last year and it worked out perfectly for us so we haven't given up hope yet."