Katrina Purdon – an interesting life

Katrina Purdon has been lucky enough to own some nice horsepower over nearly four decades. And her winning run is not over yet.

Katrina grew up in Cambridge and got her first pony when she was four.

“It was a big pony so you had to stay on because it was too far to fall off (laughter). I did pony club, cross country and showjumping, then the trotting took over,” she said.

She got involved in harness racing at an early age. Her first race was a non-tote lady drivers race in June of 1980 under her maiden name Katrina Cole when she drove Eagles Three who was trained by her father Raymond to finish second.

“Dad was doing the gallopers down at Matamata (but) he pottered around with a few trotters and trained Eagles Three. Grant Sharpe raced her with a few of the boys and Grant’s had a few horses with us over the years.”

In the early days Katrina worked at Ron Robertson’s stables.

“When Barry and I got married we moved into a house on Noel Gibson’s property and I worked there.”

They then moved to Clevedon where they built the house they’ve lived in for forty one years.

Katrina and Barry have hosted many young harness aspirants on the property – Cran Dalgety, Tony Barron, Chris Garlick, Todd McFarlane, Bob Butt, John Dunn, Brent Mangos, Brent Lilley and Derek Balle and others, stayed on the farm while they learned the trade.

As an owner Katrina is closing in on 450 race day wins and 26 of those in New Zealand have been at Group One level, 20 Group Two, 8 Group Three and 4 at Listed level.

Her first winner My Eliza, at Claudelands in April 1986, was trained by Roy and Barry and driven by Derek Balle.

Her first feature winner was Montana Vance in the Group Three Needham Healthy Juvenile Stakes at Cambridge. The gelding went on to win the New Zealand Sires’ Stakes Two Year Old Final giving Katrina her first Group One win.

She raced Montana Vance with John Hart, David Sixton and John Ede.

“It was a very good group of owners and we had a lot of fun.”

To date Holmes DG has been Katrina’s biggest winner. He won thirty two races and earned $1,943,029.

“He was a great horse. When he won a big race in Sydney, Terry Henderson (owner) was overseas hiking and he couldn’t watch the race live. When he could get coverage he had all these messages on his phone (laugher).”

As well as winning major races like the Auckland Cup, the New Zealand FFA, the New Zealand Derby and the Northern Derby in his home country, Holmes DG had a handful of major wins in Australia including the Treuer Memorial, two Miracle Miles, the Chariots Of Fire, the Victoria Cup, the NSW Pacing Derby and the Victoria Derby.

The Southland bred gelding was raced by the Second Five Syndicate which consisted of Henderson, John Hart, John Ede, David Sixton and Katrina.

“I did a big running event with Terry and his son Ben. We ran across the Sahara Desert in 2001. It’s the toughest foot race on earth and you’re self-sufficient for a week. We did it in six days. Every day was a challenge. I damaged my arm on day two and lost all feeling in it. There was a French doctor that could speak a bit of English and he was assigned to me. We became great friends and his three daughters have been over to stay with us.”

Henderson has had a host of good horses in both codes over the years. He raced the $1.8 million earner Chokin and the 1995 Melbourne Cup winner Doriemus.

Katrina had a share in Sky Major, another very good horse. He won nineteen races and banked $825,538. His wins included the Two, Three and Four Year Old Emeralds and the New Zealand Messenger. In Australia he won a Chariots Of Fire.

“He was a lovely colt who did a great job and little Maxim was another partnership horse. They were great mates and raced against each other. When they went to Australia they were in heats of the Breeders Crown. It was the first time they hadn’t raced in the same race I reckon. Maxim was calling out for Sky Major. He wasn’t used to being out there on his own.”

Katrina also had a share in Mach Shard with Charme Nausbaum and Tracey Whittaker.

Over his 117 start career, Mach Shard won the Young Guns Cardigan Bay Stakes as a two year old and revitalised his career when winning the Noel Taylor Miles/New Zealand Messenger double as a nine year old.

“He was a fantastic horse who did a wonderful job and now he’s having a wonderful retirement.”

Other good winners for Purdon have been Nippon Home (13), Surprise Package (13), Cheer The Lady (11) and The Cavalier (9).

Outside of this country Katrina has had plenty of success in Australia with Holmes DG winning the 1998 G1 Victoria Derby and G1 Victoria Cup, Surprise Package the 1997 G1 AG Hunter Cup, Mach Shard the G1 Ainsworth FFA, Sky Major the 2015 G1 Chariots Of Fire and Cheer The Lady the 2012 Breeders Crown Two Year Old Fillies Final.

Meant To Be is Katrina’s latest star. She races the young trotter with the Clear View Racing No 6 Syndicate and he’s won nine of his twelve starts – four at Group One level. One of his main targets next month is The Ascent slot race on Show Day during Cup Week in Christchurch.

“He’s a beautiful big trotter. The slot race is going to be a fantastic race isn’t it. It’s good to have the Aussies coming over and with the World Driver Championship races, the whole week is just going to be fantastic.”

Away from racing Katrina still enjoys hiking.

“It’s good going away with the girls. We try and do a good hike once a year, off to the West Coast or down south. I love it.”

Katrina has also been involved in the fashion industry over the years, modelling for well-known Auckland designer Petrena Miller who was born in Southland. “I was a model for her for quite a few years.”

Petrena’s late father Murray raced pacers with Ryal Bush trainer Hamish Hunter and her mother Onawe successfully raced gallopers.

Barry and Katrina also enjoy their beach retreat.

“Barry’s had quite a few hip issues but he’s good now. We’ve got a beach place at Raglan and we love going there.”

She doesn’t spend as much time at the stables these days.

“I’m up there for some part of the day. I do all the bookwork for the business but I don’t work on the ground now. I did that for years, so I play golf now and tennis.”

She’s just returned from a Polo Tournament in Zambia, where New Zealand played South Africa and Zambia.

“Our neighbour’s son Joe was playing in the tournament. Four boys went from all over New Zealand, one of the Geddes boys (from the Canterbury harness racing family) went. It was a great experience. We were hosted and stayed at beautiful sugar cane farms. The farm that we stayed on had its own safari, so we did that and saw Victoria Falls.”

She and Barry also travelled to the UK recently where they went to Royal Ascot with Richard and Sheena Cole.

“The boot parties are unbelievable. They just go on for kms and kms. It’s another level. Just fantastic.”

Terry Henderson’s galloper Docklands won the G1 Queen Anne Stakes while they were there, making the day even more exciting.

“It was unbelievable. I backed it and got the quinella too.”

Katrina and Barry along with Dean Shannon also race a galloper called Yamato Satona which is trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott. The trio purchased the colt for $250,000 at the Karaka Yearling Sales.

With Meant To Be set for a big spring, Sooner The Bettor down to race in the New Zealand Cup and Yamato Satona nominated for the 2000 Guineas, there’s likely to be less time for golf or tennis for Katrina Purdon.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink