Perfect Stride goes to Ants after doing Ray proud in Breeders’ Crown Final

Trainer Ray Green handed the reins to driver Anthony Butt in more ways then one when Perfect Stride contested last night’s A$300,000 Breeders’ Crown Two-year-Old Final at Melton, outside Melbourne.

The rich end-of-season feature was Perfect Stride’s swansong for Green and when he resumes as a three-year-old it will be from the Menangle stables of Butt and partner Sonya Smith.

So it was with some pride that Green watched Butt drive a perfect race on Perfect Stride to land third prize money of A$30,000, taking his bankroll for Lincoln Farms’ Pukekohe trainer to A$79,295 from just 11 starts.

“The little fella ran home well. But the other horse was just way too good,” said Green of Be Happy Mach who ran away to a seven metre win over Youaremy Sunshine.

“I was pretty happy with the run and it was nice that Zach (on Zeuss Bromac) let him up the inside when his horse was buggered.”

Zachary Butcher and Zeuss Bromac took the full brunt of Be Happy Mach’s arsenal when he attacked for the front and while Butcher eventually relented, it left the horse short on petrol in the run home, and he only battled into fourth.

Perfect Stride makes good ground up the inside but the bird has well and truly flown.Butt says he lost a little momentum on Perfect Stride when held up by Zeuss Bromac turning for home but it made little difference to the result.

“We were never going to beat the winner - I had to burn a bit off the gate too - so I was quite pleased with the run. And it was no disgrace running third to those two horses.

“It was also a tough night’s racing in very windy weather.”

Green says he expects Perfect Stride to do a great job with Butt and Smith.

“There are only three or four better than Perfect Stride here. He’s a pretty good horse and he’ll get better as he matures.

“He’s such a little gentleman.”

Butt says Perfect Stride reminds him of Lincoln Farms’ Make Way, who was an outstanding performer from his stable last season and is due back in work on Tuesday.

“They’re both beautifully mannered horses. He’s probably a bit more advanced than Make Way at the same stage.

“He’s not far from the very best and some of the good two-year-olds don’t improve and the others catch them up.

“There’s no reason he won’t get better and better. If he does half the job of his brother Chicago Bull I’ll be happy.”

Perfect Stride will now spell for six weeks at the Sydney farm of owner Emilio Rosati, who enjoyed dual success earlier in the night when Butt drove his two young trotters Liberty Stride and Ultimate Stride to victory, both trained by Oamaru’s Phil Williamson.