Barry Purdon talks his chance in fillies final

The harness racing training partnership of Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan has two runners in tomorrows $140,000 Group One Dunstan Horsefeeds Sires’ Stakes Series Final at Addington.

Both Ultimate Racy Girl (Ultimate Machete) and Kiss (Always B Miki) have drawn outside the favourite Coastal Babe (Downbytheseaside) which runs from barrier two in the two year old Fillies Classic.

“The draws are not ideal but it is what it is. We’ll just have to leave it up to Tony (Herlihy) and Zac (Butcher),” Purdon said.

Maiden pacer Ultimate Racy Girl has finished second four times in six starts and third in her other two starts. She gets barrier six and will be handled by Herlihy.

“She’s  got gate speed but not enough to cross the other filly (Coastal Babe).”

Ultimate Racy Girl ran second to Coastal Babe (Downbytheseaside) in both the Group One Caduceus Club Two Year Old Classic at Alexandra Park in September and the Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million at Addington in the middle of last month.

“She hasn’t turned a hair since being down here. She raced well at the Cup trials,” Purdon said.

Kiss draws the outside of the front row in the 1980 metre feature. She’s won two of her six starts and will be reined by Zachery Butcher.

“There are two ways at looking at the draw – you drag your horse all the way back and look up and you’re going to be thirty metres from the leader which is going to be the favourite. Sliding across and getting her handy might be another good option. We’ll just have to leave it all up to the experts.”

Purdon says Kiss has travelled down well and has settled in at the All Stars Rolleston barn.

“She had an issue with tying up after her last race but we’ve got on top of that now. She seems good and her work yesterday morning was good.”

Meanwhile Purdon was happy with Merlin’s (Art Major) run in the Junior Free For All.

“I thought he had his chance, but I think he’ll be better for it.”

He said Merlin will race in the $25,000 Ian Dobson Memorial on the 1^st of December before heading to the $250,000 Group One Garrard New Zealand Derby on Grand Prix Day at Addington nine days later.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink