Sydney Cast-Off Delivers Timely Tonic for Terry

Promising galloper Proximate Cause continued to lift the spirits of his colourful trainer Terry Butts with another rousing win at Cluden Park yesterday.

Butts has been battling serious illness this year and watched Proximate Cause record his third win for the stable from his Cluden home.

“It’s been a shocking year with my health, but I think there’s a ray of light,” Butts said after yesterday’s win.

“He’s definitely given me a lift with his wins – it’s great to have a good horse like him at this stage.

“We bought him through a long-time family connection with Mac Griffith at Scone. I was a mate of his father John.

“The horse was bred by Gooree Stud and was passed in for $1.2 million as a yearling.

“They kept him but he was almost crippled when he was younger and eventually gave up on him and Mac recommended he come to me.

“He’d only had one start and hadn’t raced for 370 days when he won for us first-up.  I thought he might win a bit easier than he did today but it was a good win all the same.

“We’re very happy with what he’s doing especially after losing  our good open horse Cleo’s Poet earlier this year when he bled.”

The veteran trainer has won many of the north’s big races over the years including a Townsville Cup and a Cleveland Bay, had a few anxious moments in the run yesterday.

Proximate Cause was sent out a raging $1.40 favourite in the NQ Licensed Events BM 58 Hcp (1000m), but had to pull out all stops to beat the in-form Starfilly 

The More Than Ready four-year-old, with regular rider Graham Kliese in the saddle, rallied strongly after being headed to win by a short neck in a slick 56.81secs.

Top Brisbane-based hoop Justin Stanley was again a pin-up boy for punters with a winning double on two heavily backed runners.

Stanley combined with Rockhampton trainer Kevin Hansen to land a major betting move when Sweet Fantasy produced a powerhouse win in the Oyster Company Aust. 2YO Mdn Hcp (1000m).

Sweet Fantasy, backed from 3s into 1.75, missed the start by three lengths but flashed home to beat Go Getaboy by a short head with Alter Boy 43/4 lengths away third.

Stanley then brought the Sharlee Hoffman trained Lapseki with a perfectly timed run to beat Boom Baby on the post in the Good Shepherd Home Mdn Hcp (1200m).

Atherton jockey Stephen Wilson landed the money on Love Is Blind in the Gourmet Creek Open Hcp (1000m) but had a frustrating day with five seconds.

Pictured: Proximate Cause and jockey Graham Kliese (Blue), surges late to notch up his third win for trainer Terry Butts at Cluden Park yesterday.

See the racing calendar for upcoming race day