WHEN Mr Butcher won the eighth race on last Saturday’s programme at Caymanas Park, it was his 20th victory in a long and sustained career. Mr Butcher is now 10 years old, yet he still manages to come to the racetrack time after time and perform well.

The dark bay horse by Hail Orphan – Hot Chilly Bean now has a racing lifetime record of 101 starts, with 20 victories, 20 times in second position and 13 times in third, which amounts to a position in the frame of just over 50 per cent. His overall stake earnings total over $7.5 million. There is no doubt that he is a fighter and always tries to give his best when on the racetrack. Mr Butcher has become a firm fan favourite. He was trained by Dennis Lee for Saturday’s win.

NO STARTERS FOR THE TOP TRAINERS

IT is not often that there is a race programme at the Park without the involvement of our top trainers. Last Saturday was such an occasion, as champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, Gary Subratie, who finished third in the championship, and Philip Feanny, the many-time champion, did not start a horse on the 10-race programme.

DaCosta had by far the most starters for 2013, with Subratie and Feanny having their fair share. Feanny is also a breeder. DaCosta indicated to the Complete Racing Guide that for him it was simply a case of refreshing his horses, especially those who raced fairly often in 2013, giving them a break for the long haul ahead. For Subratie, it is a time of assessment, having lost a number of his racers for various reasons.

ANTHONY SMITH CONTINUES TO PRODUCE WINNERS

TRAINER Anthony Smith seems to be a man on a mission to saddle as many winners as possible. He ended the year well when his top campaigner Nuh Vex scored a fighting win in an Overnight Allowance event with Dick Cardenas on December 21.

On Saturday, he laid the basis for another good season when he saddled Sunshine Girl to victory with apprentice rider O’Brien White on board. Well done, Sir Smith.

GRESFORD ‘GREASIE’ SMITH STRIKES IN NIGHTPAN

VETERAN trainer Gresford ‘Greasie’ Smith was somewhat dormant for most of last season. A lot of the sting was taken away from him when his beloved Aventura had to be put down. It was Aventura who won the Governor’s Cup for ‘Greasie’ in 2012, only to be disqualified and the race awarded to All Correct.

Smith was able to get an early winner in 2014 when his four-year-old chestnut filly Kay Sue released the maiden tag over the five straight course on Saturday last. Kay Sue (Burning Marque – Psyche) was piloted by Paul Francis. The hope is for many more wins for ‘Greasie’ during the year.

WHAN AN ‘AWESOME’ DAY

CARL Anderson is one of the unique personalities in racing. He is an owner, a breeder and a trainer. He is well known by racing fans for his love of naming his horses ‘cat’ and ‘awesome’. Well, on Saturday it was all about the ‘awesome’ in Anderson. He saddled the first of his two winners in the sixth race when first-time runner, the three-year-old Mr Awesome, ridden by Dane Nelson, easily defeated rivals to open his winning account. Mr Awesome is bred by Dodgem – Awesome Power and is the first offspring of his sire to race. Awesome Power, the dam, is a former Derby winner when owned by Anderson and trained by Patrick ‘Blip’ Chang. Mr Awesome’s winning time was a workable 1:35.0 minutes for seven and a half furlongs. He is surely one to follow up the ranks. Then it was time for Awesome Code to add to the awesomeness of Anderson. Sitting close to the pacesetters by his rider Omar Walker, before moving away to win by a handy three and a half lengths. Awesome Code is a four-year-old dark bay gelding by Coded Warning – Awesome Power. An awesome day for Carl Anderson and his crew. Well done!

Two horses die in training accident at Belmont Park

NEW YORK (AP) — Fourtime graded stakes winner Caixa Eletronica and another horse have died after a training accident at Belmont Park. Caixa Eletronica was galloping on the training track on Saturday when he collided with Six Drivers, who was running loose after dumping his rider behind the starting gate. Caixa Eletronica sustained a skull fracture and Six Drivers broke its neck. Dr Anthony Verderosa, chief examining veterinarian for the New York Racing Association, says both horses died instantly. Caixa Eletronica was owned by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher. The 9-year-old horse won seven stakes, including the Westchester, the Charles Town Classic and the True North Handicap. Caixa Eletronica had earned more than $1.8 million. Repole says it’s “a terrible day for racing.” Caixa Eletronica’s exercise rider, Carlos Castro, was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Six Drivers’ rider, Julio Pezua, had no a pparent injuries.

Awesome Baby wins Santa Ynez at Santa Anita

TERRY Biddlecombe, the three-time champion jump jockey and one of the most colourful figures in horseracing, has died after a long illness at the age of 72. Biddlecombe, who was nicknamed ‘The Blonde Bomber’ because of his exuberant life both in and out of the saddle, was champion jockey in the 1964/5, 1965/6 and 1968/9 seasons. But in the latter years of his life he became known to a new generation of racing fans as the husband of trainer Henrietta Knight as, together, they plotted the career of three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate (2002-4). With Knight’s crystal clear diction and Biddlecombe’s earthy tones, the pair were affectionately labelled racing’s Odd Couple as they became the central characters at the Cheltenham Festival during the Best Mate era. He rode over 900 winners in a riding career spanning 1958 to 1974. His big wins included the 1967 Cheltenham Gold Cup with Woodland Venture and the 1963 Irish Champion Hurdle on Honour Bound. He was also second in the 1972 Grand National on Gay Trip.