KILMORE residents Eric and Marlene Buttler were unable to witness the win of their home-bred and part-owned Down Under Boy at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Buttlers were attending a family function when the six-year-old gelded son of Ne Coupez Pas and Up Over Girl brilliantly won the $70,000 Mal Seccull 0-82 Handicap (2000m).
Ridden by Cox Plate-winning jockey Steven Arnold, the gelding, backed from $11 to $9, came from last to get up by a short neck to defeat Trajet ($7.50), with Jetconi ($8.50) a similar margin away, third.
Seymour training partners Sheila Laxon and John Symons, who have been in control of the gelding throughout his 49-race career, were full of praise for Arnold’s ride on the gelding.
“It was a fabulous ride by Steve,” Laxon said.
“The old boy has never worked better in his life. He just needs a dry track.
“His sectionals in the race were incredible,” she said.
Down Under Boy has been luckless throughout his career having been runner-up on 10 occasions, which included the Listed Kilmore and Victoria Cups, along with the Yarra Valley Cup. He has now earnt in excess of $376,500 in prizemoney.
Laxon said ideally there was a good race at Flemington this Saturday for the gelding, but preferred to give him an extra week to get over the race and run him in a 1700-metre event at headquarters the following Saturday.
More success for duo
It was a good few days for the training duo as they were successful with Midnight Pearl at Seymour last Thursday.
Starting at $14, the five-year-old daughter of More Than Ready and Black Pearl took out the Parker Bros. Earthmoving (0-62) over 1300 metres.
“He’s another horse that needs to drop out in her races,” Laxon said.
Midnight Pearl defeated the $2.70 favourite Mild Mannered by a neck.
The mare was formerly trained at Cranbourne by Coin Davies.
The win was a pick-up ride for Michelle Payne.






