Tim O'Connor
It’s looming as Bettor Twist versus the world and Nathan Purdon’s filly may just be tough enough to best the rest.
Anthony Butt held off brilliant Ladies In Red to handsomely win tonight’s Villawood Properties three-year-old Breeders Crown second semi-final, making it a staying test that may well be a precursor to Saturday night’s $200,000 final.
Emma Stewart’s extraordinary team of Beach Villa, Ladies In Red, Joanna, Tough Tilly, Runaway Celebrity and Treachery will fill half of the final field, each with their own strengths and weaknesses that present a threat to Purdon’s recent arrival.
However, Butt told TrotsVision Bettor Twist may have the weapons to outlast all challengers.
“She’s very adaptable, but her strength is staying,” he said. “I watched a lot of her tapes in New Zealand before she came over and she has ground out a lot of her wins.
“She’s a great (filly) and she has got speed, but she’s probably tougher than some of the others and probably some of the others have got as much speed as her, so you have got to drive her too her strengths.”
It was certainly put in place tonight, with Butt leading and upping the tempo when Ladies In Red advanced to his outside.
A 26.8-second third quarter was the quickest third leg of the night and the 54.1-second last half even eclipsed the preceding open Melton City Council Sprint, when Torrid Saint got home in 55.4 to score.
“She reminds a little of Flashing Red (winner of $2,000,503), there doesn’t seem to be a bottom to her,” Butt said. “She doesn’t give you a great feel when you drive her, she’s very relaxed and laid back. She just stays and she hasn’t gotten tired yet.
“I said to Nathan a couple of weeks ago, we will wait for the finals and then we’ll go to war a mile out.”
It’s an enthralling scenario given the class of those who will be joining Bettor Twist at the starting gates.
Ladies In Red sat parked and boxed on well for second behind her, while earlier Beach Music was impressive in winning the first semi-final, showing improved gate speed to hold out stablemate Joanna and then keep enough in reserve to keep the latter’s late burst at bay.
Many had expected Joanna would lead, but reinsman David Moran said tonight presented an important test for Beach Music and she answered the call.
“Bit of a make or break tonight as to whether we can bustle her out, try and make her a little bit quicker than she has been the last couple,” he said. “I guess it probably helped (Joanna) drawing right next door, but she did get out better.”
After the early challenge Joanna managed to slide into leader’s back in Jackie Barker’s hands and then got within a head on the line, with Stewart having the first four home as Runaway Celebrity and Tough Tilly followed them in.
“(Beach Music) was pretty good on the line, she still had the plugs in,” Moran said. “She’s a really good horse in front. It’s going to be interesting (in the final).”
Particularly given that, even with a plum draw, Butt freely admits Bettor Twist is unlikely to find the front owing to her lesser gate speed.
“When the gate leaves she gets off the bit a bit, I would say a few of those others have a lot more gate speed than her,” he said. “It’s going to come down to draws. You couldn’t imagine one of those others isn’t going to draw good, so it’s going to be hard for her to find the front.
“If she gets to the death she’s going to control the race, isn’t she? If a few of the others draw bad they’re going to have a lot of thinking to do.”
