The champion Kiwi trainer/driver finally put paid to his Bendigo Cup hoodoo when he guided the exciting Wolf Stride to a brilliant win in Saturday night's $70,000 event.

Butt had to overcome a poor draw on the outside of the second row, but Wolf Stride showed his class by powering home in the final 400m to win impressively from Fourbigmen and Sirletic.

"It's a great race,'' Butt said of the Bendigo Pacing Cup.

"I've been coming here for quite a few years, especially when I was back in New Zealand, trying to win it and I think I ran second a few times.

"I think it's the first time I've won it, so it's taken a while but I finally got there."

Butt and Wolf Stride settled back in the field before getting a trail into the race behind Im Anothermasterpiece.

Coming to the home turn the leaders were starting to paddle and Wold Stride showed a great turn of foot to power around the outside.

Fourbigmen tried to go with Wolf Stride, but the son of Rock'N'Roll Heaven proved too strong in the final 100m.

Sirletic made good ground from the rear of the field to run third.

Wolf Stride finished off the last half-mile in 56 second flat for a slick mile-rate of 1:55.8.

Now training in partnership with his fiancee Sonya Smith, Butt said Wolf Stride had the potential to become a Grand Circuit campaigner.

"It's never easy in these good fields... when he drew out the back like that he was always going to need luck,'' Butt said.

"He's progressing really well and we were hoping to get to this stage.

"He's got to keep improving to take on the big boys, but he's heading in the right direction."

Butt said Wolf Stride's next assignment was likely to be the Ballarat Cup in a fortnight before stepping up the Hunter Cup.

"If he goes good enough in them I wouldn't mind taking him up to Sydney for the Miracle Mile carnival,'' Butt said.

"This year will stand him in good stead for next season. It's always good to have a year on the Grand Circuit against the big boys. It toughens them up and if they're good enough they step and he could have a really good year next year."

Andy and Kate Gath continued their dominance of the Group One Aldebaran Park Maori Mile at Lord's Raceway on Saturday night.

The Maori Mile has only been run since 2010 and the powerful Gath stable has won it four times after McLovin's gutsy win in the 2021 edition.

Tornado Valley went back-to-back in 2019 and 2020, while Glenferrie Typhoon triumphed in 2016.

McLovin did all the work outside of the leader, but kept fighting in the home straight and held off favourite Dance Craze, who stormed home along the sprint lane.

Race leader Red Hot Tooth finished a close-up third.

"His form over the short (distance) is really good and, I can't say I was confident of winning because of the two horses that drew one and two, but I was confident he'd run a good race,'' winning driver Kate Gath said.

"(Trainer) Andy (Gath) was happy if we were parked and, fortunately, we got to drop in for a little bit and then moved up in the slowest quarter.

"It was a terrific win to finish it like he did."

McLovin sizzled home in a last half-mile of 55.7 seconds for an overall mile rate of 1:54.2, which was just outside of the track record.

"It's hard to sit outside the leader in any race these days, so to do it in a race like this (was outstanding),'' Kate Gath said.

"I've been lucky enough to win it maybe three times (four times) now and I've won it with really good horses. It's a great race."

Tornado Valley is one the comeback trail and could join McLovin in next month's Great Southern Star.

While Tornado Valley has had a better overall career than McLovin, Kate Gath said McLovin's fitness edge might prove decisive.

"McLovin, this preparation, his work has been terrific and he feels like a powerhouse at home and I can't really hold him slow enough up the straight,'' she said.

"He's really in the zone at the moment.

"Tornado Valley is nearly back ready to go again. His work is good, we'll see if he's right at his top.

"It's hard to be right at the top like he was for a long period of time. He's getting a bit older now so time will tell when he comes back if he's as good as he was.

"McLovin, at the moment, is right up there."

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