3 minute read
Hawkesbury trainer Peter Green and his brother Clinton didn’t have to think hard to name a yearling they purchased cheaply at Scone two years ago.
Racing as Butch'n'Bugs , the now three-year-old gave his connections a great result by breaking through at Wyong today at only his third start.
Apprentice Cejay Graham saved ground by sticking to the inside on the son of Sidestep in the Provincial & Country Maiden Handicap (1350m) - and it proved a winning move.
Butch'N'Bugs ($4.80) ran on resolutely to beat $2.80 favorite Queen Snip, with Buckin' Rippa ($4.20) third after holding what looked an unassailable lead on straightening.
The Green brothers had to pay only $3000 for Butch'N'Bugs at the Scone sale, and his Wyong success lifted his prizemoney to nearly $20,000, along with a BOBS bonus which will be put to use at a future sale.
"Clinton and myself bought him, and giving him a name was easy," Green explained on his way home from the track.
"Clinton was nicknamed Butch as a kid, and Bugs was my nickname.
"It's great to be back in the winning list and hopefully now that Butch'N'Bugs has broken through, he can go on with it.
"He has been a real work in progress.
"He was lazy and was struggling to break 15 seconds over 200m in his work.
"It changed dramatically when we switched him from the synthetic track (Polytrack) to the grass.
"He let down and broke 12 seconds for the 200m, and has kept improving with each of his runs."
It was no coincidence that apprentice Graham helped Green put an end to his run of outs, clinching his seventh winner after taking out his licence a few years ago.
His first victory was with another "cheapie", $700 buy Prime Justice, at the annual Bong Bong picnic race meeting in November, 2017.
Graham was also aboard the experienced horseman's previous winner Angiolini ($10) at Gosford on May 25 last year.
Green has 15 horses in work, and was the 26th Hawkesbury trainer to taste success in season 2019-20.
His and later Brad Widdup's victory with Carte Blanche on the Wyong program lifted the number of winners trained out of Hawkesbury this season to 94.
