It looks like we’ll find the answer in Friday’s $125,000 Group 1 Christian Cullen at Addington.
The Bob Butt-trained pacer has made waves with seven wins from ten running races and now takes on a star-studded line-up including recently crowned New Zealand Cup champion Kingman.
“I don’t know how good he is, to be honest,” says coach Bob Butt.
“He keeps improving and I haven’t found the ceiling yet. I think we will know more after Friday.”
Capable of running the last 800 under 55 – “he’s got real great speed” – The Lazarus Effect has won four of his last five, including a seven-length romp in the NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales All Aged Pace at Kaikoura.
“He really stepped up at Kaikoura,” says Butt, “which would probably be his best run yet.”
But Carter Dalgety, not Butt, will helm The Lazarus Effect this Friday, with Butt opting for stablemate Sideshow Bruce.
“It’s hard to split them, but Carter has ridden The Lazarus Effect south before (won at Winton in May) and Sideshow Bruce is a big, rough-boned type who can be harder to ride.”
The Lazarus Effect was bred by Martin Pierson, the New Zealand Sires’ Stakes Executive.
He bought the unraced Art Major mare Brook Street and after trying to get her pregnant at Bettor’s Delight they went to Lazarus and were immediately successful.
The resulting foal The Lazarus Effect was subsequently sold to Alabar NZ Ltd at the 2022 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales for $57,500 and was syndicated.
Initially he was going to be trained by Mark Purdon, but after some setbacks he ended up on Woodend beach with Butt.
“I’m very proud of what The Lazarus Effect has done,” says Pierson.
“When he won on cup day last year, that was the first time I had grown a winner on cup day, so that was quite special.”
That was only his second appearance on race day and he won by more than four lengths. In his ten career starts he has never been further back than fourth, and even then he was unlucky in the race and stormed home.
“I’m sure he won’t disgrace himself this Friday either,” Pierson said.
The Lazarus Effect is tied for second favorite with Walk By Faith at $7.50, while Kingman is fighting for a fifth straight win, at just $1.45, after his monstrous win in the country’s biggest race last Tuesday.
Also in the field is last year’s VELOCITY winner Better Knuckle Up, who finished fourth in the New Zealand Cup.
Sideshow Bruce has drawn one in the second row and is at $20 with the TAB.
“It’s going to be a great race,” Butt said.
To see the field for the Christian Cullen click here
By means of Dave Di SommaHarness News Desk
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