It's safe to say Bill Butler and his wife Kaylah will remember this wedding anniversary.
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Exactly how much of it they remember will come down to how Cavalier Charles goes in the $2 million Kosciuszko at Randwick on Saturday.
Butler and Canberra trainer Matthew Dale were hoping for a top-five finish for the $34 long shot.
But if the six-year-old gelding happens to salute in the world's richest race for country-trained horses - the anniversary celebrations could go long into the night.
"It's our anniversary in a couple of weeks," Butler said.
"[Kaylah's] going to be away for our anniversary, funnily enough she's going to Fiji for a couple of weeks - I'll stay back and work and hold the fort.
"She actually leaves the day before our wedding anniversary so we're making a weekend of it this weekend."
It wasn't always going to be Cavalier Charles who would be at the centre of their anniversary celebrations.
He wasn't Butler's first choice and only a couple of twists of fate led the pair together.
![Canberra trainer Matthew Dale hopes Cavalier Charles can finish top five in the $2 million Kosciuszko. Picture by Karleen Minney Canberra trainer Matthew Dale hopes Cavalier Charles can finish top five in the $2 million Kosciuszko. Picture by Karleen Minney](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/6031efd9-1235-4c20-a69a-24836f7daa75.jpg/r0_87_5568_3230_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Canberra public servant had been trying for a couple of years to land a winning ticket for the "Kozzie".
So this time he stumped up $500 to improve his chances.
But that didn't stop him from forgetting about the draw, where the 14 lucky ticket holders got to pick a horse to represent them.
It meant Racing NSW spent all day trying to get in touch with him - not helped by his old phone number and previous Tomerong address being on his TAB account.
Finally, an email pleading for Butler to "contact them please" got through and he was on his way to finding a horse.
At first he liked the look of Front Page - the $5.50 second favourite - but he missed out on him.
![It took a few twists and turns, including an injury to another horse, for Cavalier Charles to get a run. Picture by Karleen Minney It took a few twists and turns, including an injury to another horse, for Cavalier Charles to get a run. Picture by Karleen Minney](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/8dbbba4d-90c0-4843-8fda-71b6e0078aba.jpg/r0_53_3990_2296_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
So in the end he settled on Golden Point, trained by Armidale's Stirling Osland.
But a hip injury suffered at Hawkesbury three weeks ago forced Osland to send Golden Point to the paddock.
Having spoken to Dale before, Butler got back on the blower to the Canberra trainer to see what options he had in his stable.
Even then though, he wasn't thinking Cavalier Charles. Instead, he had one eye on Meg.
In a twist of fate, Meg will also run at Randwick on Saturday - it's just she'll be in the group 3 Angst Stakes instead.
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"I'd love to win, but I'd be really, really happy if the horse could finish top five," Butler said.
"That'd be just fantastic. It's great just to be there and be part of the day.
"I don't really know what to expect I guess ... but Matt's quietly confident with the horse.
"I'm trusting in those guys we can do a bit of a job on the day."
It's Dale's second trip to the Kosciuszko, with Man Of Peace finishing third in 2020.
![It will be the biggest ride of jockey Nick Heywood's career. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong It will be the biggest ride of jockey Nick Heywood's career. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/d7c07b7b-b58e-479c-9837-825daf64e4dd.jpg/r0_202_5338_3215_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He's also had a runner in the $15 million Everest, which was run on the same day, with Fell Swoop in the mega-rich sprint back in 2017.
To complete the Canberra trifecta, not only do Dale and Parkesbourne-based Butler work in the capital, but Cavalier Charles' owner Michael Thomas lives in the ACT.
He was the owner of Happy Clapper, who won more than $7 million in prize money with trainer Patrick Webster.
It's why Wagga Wagga jockey Nick Heywood will be wearing the Happy Clapper silks when he jumps in the biggest ride of his career.
Heywood's win in the NSW Country Championships earlier this year was his most high profile victory to date.
It was another thing Butler liked about picking Cavalier Charles.
"The horse likes to be ridden a particular way and my understanding is Nick knows the horse very well," Butler said.
"I think it's a fabulous opportunity for him. I like that type of thing.
"I really like somebody being given a go and I think he'll be trying really, really hard so I'm really happy to have him on."
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