Trainer Tim Butt had to break one more rule with Mr Feelgood.

After six months of turning conventional harness racing wisdom on its head, Kiwi trainer Butt needed to do it one more time in the build up to Saturday night's A$1 million Final.

Butt lived a secret last week, knowing that Mr Feelgood was struggling to fend off a virus which could have ended his campaign.

The former US pacer had scraped into the Final but Butt knew even one hard training run would bottom him.

So fragile was Mr Feelgood's physical state Butt didn't even want to work him on the heavy dirt track inside the race track at Parklands. So last Monday he reverted to jogging him on the grass.

Jogging on grass is an old-school Canterbury training regime and one that didn't go down well in Queensland.

"The first day I did it the staff at the track came out and said under no circumstances was I allowed to jog in the grass, especially this week," said Butt on Saturday night.

It worked though, with Butt's brother, Anthony, then producing the perfect drive to steal the Final away from three tremendous performances in Blacks A Fake, Karloo Mick and Changeover.

And it was appropriate that Butt's rule breaking helped earn what he described as his greatest-ever win because he has done nothing but break the rules with Mr Feelgood for six months.

Consider that last September, Mr Feelgood was coming to the twilight of his career as a leading North American pacer.

Butt's close friend Richard Norman suggested they should buy the pacer. So in the middle of a global economic crisis Butt said yes, and then sought out buyers willing to pay the estimated US$600,000 needed.

Mr Feelgood had been a star in the US, winning the Little Brown Jug as a three-year-old but paying that sort of money for an ageing stallion who had been racing on the anti-bleeding drug Lasix is breaking more than a few rules.

Butt then didn't even bring him to New Zealand but straight to Australia and started setting him for races he shouldn't have been able to win.

Like the Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley last month. A 3050m standing start for a horse who only knew how to run mobile miles.

Mr Feelgood adapted, won the Hunter and was all of a sudden one of the Inter favourites.

But he never settled in Queensland, battling blood problems, prompting the special rule-breaking grass workouts last week.

"To be honest, he wasn't at his best tonight," said Butt matter-of-factly.

"He is a very good horse but Ants drove him perfectly and that is what won us the race."

Both brothers rated the win as their greatest moment in racing, realising they had achieved what so many harness racing people had debated the merit of for decades.

They had taken an elite North American horse and moulded him into an Interdominion champion.

Mr Feelgood will head to his new home, Christchurch, and spell before being set for the New Zealand Cup.

"I think with a spell he will come back a far better horse, once he has a real chance to settle into our racing and training environment."

Manx Park’s part owned pacer Mr Feelgood has won Harness Racing’s version of the Melbourne Cup with a stirring victory in Saturday night’s $400,000 Group I BIG6 Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley.

The boom American import, winner of America’s iconic Little Brown Jug in 2006, showed that he was just as adept at the highest level halfway around the world when he claimed the 3065m marathon.

A six-year-old by Australian time, the Grinfromeartoear entire justified the big money paid for him in the second half of last year with his second win from four Australian starts.

His other two runs were a respectable first-up sixth in the Group 2 Bendigo Cup and a narrow second to Mister Swinger in last week’s Group 1 Ballarat Cup.

Winning driver Anthony Butt, brother of Mr Feelgood’s trainer Tim, said the win was among his most satisfying and not just because he became the most successful reinsman in Hunter Cup history.

“It was a big risk buying this horse (from America), it’s never been done before, but the owners backed their judgement and it’s a great thrill to get the job done,” he said.

The result was almost a replica of the Group 2 Shepparton Cup on January 24 – which Mr Feelgood won as a $42 chance – with the former American getting up in the final couple of bounds to pip gutsy Queensland gelding I Am Sam.

Mr Feelgood began safely from his 10m handicap and, just like at his standing start debut at Shepparton, was given time to settle before hitching a ride on Changeover’s back when the Kiwi star lead up the three-wide line a lap out.

As he did two weekends ago, Mr Feelgood ($7.60) peeled four-wide rounding the home bend and took almost every inch of the home straight to reel in I Am Sam but had his head in front when it mattered most.

On the line he had a half neck to spare over the $2.70 favourite with the winner’s stablemate Report For Duty ($59) filling third placing for the second year in a row, just a neck away.

Every quarter was a sub-30-second split, including a 57-second last half of the last mile, for a 1:59.8 mile rate.

Changeover ($5.50), the fourth placegetter at Shepparton, filled that spot again with Mister Swinger ($17) flashing home to grab fifth money.

Butt, whose other Hunter Cup winning drives were aboard Blossom Lady (1994 and 1995) and Mister D G for his brother in 2004, said his fourth victory was possiblythe sweetest.

Manx Park’s old warhorse Red Pier broke through for a much deserved victory in the Robbo’s Sand Rating 72 Handicap over 1800m at Wagga on Australia Day.

It was the seven-year-old gelding’s fourth win from 31 starts and ended a run of four minor placings.

“It was good to see the old boy hit the line first and he really deserved the win,” trainer Nick Olive said.

Sent out a $5.50 favourite, Red Pier was ridden aggressively by top country hoop Richard Bensley and travelled outside the lead before giving plenty in the straight to claim victory by a head.

“He’s racing better than ever and I’ll see how he pulls up and we may give him a crack at the Bega Cup on Sunday February 2,” said Olive.

The Manx Park venture into harness racing paid a quick dividend when it’s US purchased pacer Mr Feelgood staked a claim for Australia’s two biggest races over the Australia Day weekend.

Mr Feelgood, seemingly with everything against him, produced a breathtaking last-to-first performance to beat a crack field in Saturday night's Group II Shepparton Cup.

His mile rate was an unthinkable 1min 58.4sec for the 2690m standing-start, a track and Austlralian record.

All this from a pacer trying standing-start racing for the first time, having just his second start in six months and going to a distance he had never attempted before.

Throw in that he came from the co-backmark of 30m and you start to get the picture.

This was an amazing win.

Mr Feelgood's win sent shockwaves through betting markets for Saturday week's $400,000 Group 1 Big6 Hunter Cup and the $1 million Gold Coast Inter Dominion final on March 28.

Eskander's Betstar slashed Mr Feelgood's Hunter Cup odds from $17 to $4 favourite. In the Inter Dominion, the glamour import is $5 second favourite behind Victorian star Melpark Major ($3).

TAB Sportsbet is a little more generous with Mr Feelgood $6.50 for the Hunter Cup and $7 for the Inter final.

Co-trainer and driver Anthony Butt said Mr Feelgood's first Australian win - at just his second start for the stable - had come earlier and in more remarkable fashion than he expected.

"I'll be honest, I didn't think he could win from the (30m) handicap. I told the owners my pass mark was a top five or six finish," Butt said.

"The Americans kept telling us he is a great athlete and he'll find his fitness quickly, but the improvement from Bendigo (a week earlier) to Shepparton was huge.

"It's hard not to get excited going ahead because there is no reason he won't just keep improving with every start."

Butt confirmed Mr Feelgood would back-up in Saturday night's $125,000 Group 1 Ballarat Cup.

"He hasn't taken any harm from Shepparton and the racing should benefit him," Butt said.

The Shepparton win also ranked as one of Butt's best.

Manx Park owned She’s Warrego signalled bigger and better things with an emphatic romp in the 3 Tales Handicap over 1900m at Canterbury on December 18.

The four-year-old daughter of Giant’s Causeway has been given plenty of time by trainer John Hawkes to mature as evidenced by the fact that she was having only her fifth race start but after leading all the way she showed her rivals a clean set of heels in the straight to charge away and claim victory by three and a quarter lengths.

“It was a good strong effort and its onwards and upwards from here,” assistant trainer Michael Hawkes said.

Tudor Lad, a son of Manx Park broodmare Gay Tudor made it two wins from as many outings in the United Crane Hire Handicap (1200m) at Bunbury on Sunday November 16.

After winning his maiden by a thumping four and a quarter lengths on Melbourne Cup day, Tudor Lad stepped up sharply in grade to Ratings 75 company but took it all in his stride racing on the speed before charging away in the straight to win by two and a half lengths with jockey Jason Whiting sitting up and easing the entire down inside the final 100 metres.

Tudor Lad’s trainer Ross Price has indicated a race on December 6 at Ascot could be Tudor Lad’s next test.

Gay Tudor is a daughter of Polish Patriot (USA) and a half sister to stakes winners Orsay, Hermod and Charter, the dam of Hire and Lease.

From five foals of racing age, Gay Tudor’s stock have produced four winners Bloodwood [7 wins], More To Win [6 wins], Accessible [4 wins] and Tudor Lad.

Tudor Lad, a son of the Manx Park owned Gay Tudor made a winning debut at Bunbury in Western Australia on Melbourne Cup day.

The four-year-old entire went into the race off two impressive trial victories and he didn’t disappoint at his debut winning in effortless fashion by four and a quarter lengths in the 1200 metre maiden.

Gay Tudor is a daughter of Polish Patriot (USA) and a half sister to stakes winners Orsay, Hermod and Charter, the dam of Hire and Lease.

From five foals of racing age, Gay Tudor’s stock have produced four winners Bloodwood [7 wins], More To Win [6 wins], Accessible [4 wins] and Tudor Lad.

Manx Park Racing is celebrating today after our first homebred, Romanesco won her maiden in the Custom Security Services Maiden (1080m) at Canberra on the Acton track.

After disappointing us when beaten on debut at Queanbeyan, trainer Nick Olive added the added the blinkers and they worked wonders with the daughter of More Than Ready.

After being slow to leave the barriers, Romanesco settled back near the tail of the field before starting to move forward from the 600m.

As the field turned for home, Romanesco had tracked up behind the front runners before taking a run at the top of the straight and striding clear to with with apparent easy by one and a half lengths.

“That’s better,” said Olive.

“I thought she could win at her first start at Queanbeyan but what we saw today is the horse I know.

“The blinkers did sharpen her up and the racetrack experience has obviously helped.

“That was a bloody good win today because nothing went her way.”