Butt lands Golden catch drive

Victorian harness racing trainer Nathan Purdon has confirmed that Anthony Butt will drive The Rising Sun champ Amazing Dream when she shoots for back-to-back Group 1 triumphs this weekend.

The Kiwi mare won her first start for new trainer Purdon when she burst home along the inside on Saturday night to take out the inaugural $250,000 feature at Albion Park.

She will back-up into the Group 1 The Golden Girl this weekend, with the experienced Butt to take over the reins from Purdon’s father Mark, who has returned home to New Zealand.

Nathan Purdon was a special guest on RSN‘s Gait Speed on Monday and spoke with hosts Gareth Hall and Adam Hamilton about the mare’s thrilling success.

“It was nervous times. Just more so I was hoping on the day she would go as good as she can go, more than focusing on the fact that she may be a winning chance,” he said.

“The pressure was there. I knew she was well in herself leading into the race, the training was super and she’s such a laid-back horse, but when she gets to the track she’s all business.”

Purdon said his horse’s early speed was somewhat underrated and allowed her to find a great spot in behind early leader Krug.

“She is very casual, but generally when you wake them up and teach them it’s game day, they’ll rise to the occasion,” he said.

“It didn’t surprise me she came out with them, but it took a great drive and a bit of luck on the night to end up where she was.”

Amazing Dream was originally prepared by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, but competed for takeover trainer Hayden Cullen in her last nine starts in New Zealand. She arrived in Australia with 20 wins from 36 starts, seven of which were at Group 1 level.

The million-dollar mare will return back to Nathan Purdon’s Avalon base at the conclusion of the Constellations carnival, which will likely be after a crack at the Group 1 Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship on July 24.

The young trainer is also set to have stablemate Spellbound in the $100,000 feature for fillies and mares, with Stuart McDonald understood to be taking the drive.

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By Tim O’Connor for HRV