$151 upset in sensational Taylor Mile

In the twilight of his harness racing career at start number 105, many presumed the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained Mach Shard (Mach Three) was simply making up the numbers in tonight’s Group One $110,000 Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park against a much younger crop of up and coming Open Class pacing talent.

The two time G1 winning free legged nine-year-old was not only forgotten by the betting public, drifting out to exorberent odds of $151 on the tote. He even managed to slip the guard of his master trainer with New Zealand’s most winningest trainer caught completely off guard as his grand old campaigner upset the apple cart in a highly entertaining spectacle at the ‘ribbon of light’.

“He’s just been such a super horse, but that was really unexpected,” said Mach Shard’s co-trainer Barry Purdon.

“He has always worked well and he was really running on in his last start in the Race by Grins, but I didn’t even notice him. I was watching Merlin up the passing lane and then I heard the commentator say he was coming flat out down the outside,” laughed Purdon.

Mach Shard had announced himself as a future star of the sport in 2017 when taking out the G1 Cardigan Bay Young Guns final as a juvenile At Alexandra Park. A mere 2601 days after his first Group One success, he claimed his third at elite level, and second on New Zealand soil since returning home from Australia late last year.

To say he claimed his third Group One is probably unbecoming, given the hopeless position Mach Shard found himself with 800m left to travel.

The $200,000 yearling sales topper from the Shard Farm draft of 2016 was stone motherless last with a wall of horses in front of him. At the 400m he was virtually in the same position with only his galloping stablemate, Sooner The Better in the rearview mirror.

Hooked to the extreme outside of the track, the withering and sustained sprint to run past an ensemble of Australasia’s best pacing talent was a performance for the ages, and one that wont be forgotten any time soon. Not the least by his young pilot Chrystal Hackett, who claimed her first Group One driving success on the eve of her looming Australian sojourn.

“It’s super, I’m pretty happy with the old boy, it’s pretty cool,” said Hackett in the immediate aftermath of the race.

“He was travelling the whole way and I tried to just keep him following a helmet for as long as I could.A round the bend, I let him loose and the old boys legs were going a hundred miles an hour and he got there, when we crossed the line in front it was pretty cool!

“I cant thank Barry, Scotty and Mach Shard’s owners enough. To put me on in a Group One is a big ask, and it’s no mean feat to be able to get it done for them. I’m pretty happy,” she said as she tried to contain her smile.

The 20-year-old claimed her first career Group Victory earlier in the year with Faith In Manchester and stated her lofty goal of snaring an elusive Group One as the next on the hit list and that has manifested just four months into her fourth season as a junior driver.

While Hackett’s boss may have been surprised by the performance of his pacer, you got the feeling her employer, who has played a leading hand in developing many of our best junior drivers over the years, wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Hackett saluting the judge in a G1 feature.

“It was a great thrill and especially for Chrystal, she has worked hard. It’s really good and well deserved for her, she is part of our team at home and it just makes the result even better,” he said.

Despite having to settle for place money, the two star four-year-olds, Dont Stop Dreaming (Bettor’s Delight) and Merlin (Art Major) were fantastic in filling the minors with only a half head separating the pair. The Mark and Nathan Purdon trained runner was gallant after sitting in the breeze three wide for the last 800m while the stablemate to the winner was doing his best work late after being denied momentum in the passing lane by a tiring Republican Party.

MACH SHARD REPLAY

And while you could make a case for a number of the beaten runners in an action packed and entertaining 36th edition of the Taylor Mile, all the plaudits were with the winner who made his own luck in reversing a form line that saw him winning just twice in 23 starts last season across the Tasman.

“He did a good job in Australia and we obviously bought him back. We gave him 10 days off and started again. He beat Self Assured here one night and his form tapered off a bit, but his runs have been pretty good without being great. To come out tonight and do what he’s done, its a big thrill,” said Purdon.

Mach Shard completed the 1609m journey in a time of 1:53.9, with the last half run in 56.7, and the final quarter in 29.0.

The $60,500 winning stake took the son of Mach Three’s earnings to $750,358 for the now 19 race winner.

The $151 tote price was thought to be the biggest in a G1 feature since Flight South won the Auckland Cup 24 years ago, would be great to hear from anyone who could point to a bigger G1 winning dividend in New Zealand harness racing!

For complete Alexandra Park results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink