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By Greg Prichard

Steve Butcher, the retired baker (there’s no candlestick maker in this story), reckons after having had more than 100 horses trained by Daniel Bowen at Lismore the pair are finally poised to make a big noise together in a big race - The Kosciuszko.

After winning an open-class handicap at Eagle Farm on a Saturday at her most recent start, Tectonic Plate has shortened dramatically to become a $26 chance in the $2 million race which will be run over 1200 metres at Randwick on October 19.

Tectonic Plate's part-owner Steve Butcher (Pic: Trackside).

And Butcher, who owns the mare with his wife, Karen, has been reaching deep into his pockets to regularly buy a big bunch of tickets in The Kosciuszko sweepstakes draw in the hope of winning a slot in the race.

Bowen, meanwhile, has gone from never having had a runner in a Kosciuszko to being a big chance of having not one, but two this year - his grand old sprinter At Witz End, which has been racing like it’s reborn, is a $15 chance in the race.

Punters can go in the draw to have a horse run for them in The Kosciuszko by purchasing sweepstakes tickets at $5 each via TAB through agencies, the TAB app, pubs and clubs and at race meetings until September 9.

The 14 slot-holders will be drawn on September 11 and they will then be able to do a deal on a prizemoney split with the connections of eligible runners trained in the NSW country or ACT.

“I’m buying ’em, trust me, I’m buying ’em - plenty of tickets,” Butcher said.

“I just buy about a hundred bucks’ worth every week. I’ll keep doing that. I’ll probably end up with more than a thousand dollars’ worth. We had a fill-up when she won at $9 at Eagle Farm, so that gave us a bit of play-money to buy some more.

“Every man and his dog at the track was congratulating me on the win. I just said to them, ‘Well, you’ve all got a pocketful of money now so start buying some tickets and get us into the Kosciuszko if I don’t win a slot myself’.

“My mare loves the wet or the dry, it doesn’t worry her. And she’s still a young horse that has only had 15 starts, so there’s got to be further improvement in her.

“She’s already won seven races and she would’ve won a few more except for bad luck.

“Daniel’s a terrific trainer. I’ve had many, many winners with him. He has placed her very well to try to get her profile out there and he’s looking for another race for her now.

“I desperately want to get a slot for mine and Daniel’s desperately trying to get a slot for the old horse as well because he’s absolutely flying too.”

Bowen believes At Witz End, with his recent record of two wins and two placings in Listed-class races, has surely already done enough to attract a start in The Kosciuszko.

And now he thinks Tectonic Plate is banging on the door as well.

“It’s not rocket science is it?” he said. “She’s won in open company in town. It’s not a restricted-class race so she’s got to be a big hope of getting in.

“I was very impressed with her win at Eagle Farm. I was expecting it, for sure, but you’ve still got to see it happen and it did. We needed her to get noticed more and she certainly did that.

“I haven’t made any plans yet about where to run her next. It might not be until late in August. But we’ll pick the right race to give her the best chance of doing well again and getting picked.

“I think it would be pretty foolish if all of the slot-holders went past her. You either pick a horse that has proven form and can probably win a race like The Kosciuszko or you pick something that’s a hype horse.

“I saw a horse win in the bush the other day and it was a Class 3 race and they were spruiking it like it would beat the favourites in The Kosciuszko. I was thinking, ‘Well, if it’s going to get a run then surely mine will!’.

“If you want to call that win at Eagle Farm an audition for The Kosciuszko then she passed it with flying colours.”

Buy your $5 tickets in The Kosciuszko here