Pride produces another mighty win for Button

Pride produces another mighty win for Button
Northern Pride is fast becoming top trainer Tom Button’s all-time
favourite galloper after another lion-hearted win at Cluden Park on
Friday.
Button was rating the tough seven-year-old up there with his former top
galloper The Tax Accountant after he landed his 14 th career win in the
Mind Over Matter Open Hcp (1400m).
“I always say The Tax Accountant was my favourite horse. He was a
horse that always showed up and went to town (Brisbane) and won. This
horse has to be right up there with him,” Button said.
“Around the stable he knows he’s the man and thinks he’s the boss. He
lets you know that he’s in charge.
“He’s won 14 now and he had only won one race when I got him. He
was an Archer Park horse who came out of Tony Gollan’s.
“When I moved to Bowen I bought him and he’s been a great horse to
me.”
Northern Pride, burdened with heavy weights since his 2024 Cleveland
Bay Hcp win, relished the 3kg claim of apprentice Samantha Pointon on
Friday.
With still a hefty weight of 60kg, the Better Than Ready gelding rallied
late to cut down Turn Bird and a brave Tambo’s Justice who lumped
62.5kg to a close third.
Button said he was surprised Northern Pride was sent out the $18
outsider.
“I thought he could win last start and he didn’t have the best of luck up
the straight. He ran pretty well for Samantha so we stuck with her again
today and they both did a top job,” he said.
“He was way over the odds, but I expected Tambo’s Justice would be
hard to beat.
“Today he was at his best.

“There’s nowhere to go with those sorts of weights. He’s just got to try
and belt around and win the races he can.
“He’s closer to retirement than he is to the start.
“The good horses up here just get crucified with weight.
“He can’t go down there (Brisbane) and win a Benchmark 80 let alone a
90 or whatever they put him up as.
“The scale is just wrong for the northern horses.”
Button has had a strong run since shifting his operation from Bowen to
Townsville in the middle of the year and a flying start to the current
season.
His team of 23 horses has landed 11 wins on Northern tracks since
August 1, including seven winners in Townsville.
And jockey Ben Kennedy has played a big role in the stable’s success.
“Since we’ve moved to Townsville it’s been really good. Ben coming to
the stables has been massive. He’s a good rider. He gives everything a
chance and seems to be able to present the horse at the 300m in a
winning position.
“He does all the work in the mornings and is a big part of the team.”
But Button is lamenting the departure of premier trainer Georgie Holt
and husband Aidan later in the year.
“I think North Queensland racing will miss Georgie and Aidan. I think it’s
good for the industry to have the calibre of the Holts training here.
“There’ll be a big impact especially with the two-year-olds. They’ve been
a force with the young horses in recent seasons.
“I think that’ll be a loss and just trying to have races stand up without
them here will be a problem.
“We’ve already seen races scrapped because of numbers and that could
be a worry without their numbers. I’ve got 10 yearlings and if they want
us to buy yearlings our owners need to know that the races will be there
and its viable.
“It’s something that needs to be looked at.”

Wulguru trainer Graham Hughes was all smiles after a winning double
with the promising Briginshaw in the Mitavite 3YO Hcp (1200m) and
roughie Okay Zoomer in the Lysaght C1 Plate (1609m).
The stable went close to a treble when Super Freeze went down bya
neck to hot favourite Metalcraft in the Samios C5 Hcp (1000m).
Cluden trainer Belynda Kliese was rapt with Beta Better’s win with a
perfectly judged front running ride by Chris Whiteley in the Rinnai BM55
Hcp (1609m).
Kliese said having her number one work rider, husband Graham, back
in the saddle helped the mare find form.