A Little Silence sold

Quality two year old pacer A Little Silence (Downbytheseaside) has been sold by Woodend Beach harness racing trainer Matt Purvis.

“It’s not very often horses like that roll into the barn but when you’re starting out you also need the money in the bank,” he said.

The deal was put together by Peter Blanchard and Purvis is unsure of who the buyer is or where he will race next.

Bred by Alabar Stud, A Little Silence was bought by Canterbury trainer Bruce Negus at the 2021 NZ Bloodstock National Weanling Sales for $4,000. He was one of thirteen Negus’s bought that year.

“Bruce said to us that he had a bunch of yearlings and suggested that we look at them and work out a deal. Without knowing their breeding we picked two out of the paddock and luckily one was him.”

Purvis said A Little Silence was a quick learner and straightforward to prepare to race.

“He did everything naturally and every time you asked him, he had a bit more.”

He says although he’s sad about losing a horse with those qualities, it’s the right decision to sell.

“I’ve seen a few that the old man had that he got offered large money for. Then all of sudden things go wrong and you don’t have a horse or the money in the bank.”

The gelding had two starts in the early part of the season and in the G2 Welcome Stakes, after sitting parked for the last lap, he was run down late by It’s Tough (Bettor’s Delight) and beaten by half a neck.

In the G2 Sapling Stakes after trailing the leader, driver Ricky May came off that horse’s back and got to the front halfway down the long Ashburton straight, but was run down by Shards Matrix (Sweet Lou) who came up the passing lane.

“It’s great for a young trainer to have horses running in those sorts of races. He got chucked in the deep end after only having two trials but he stepped up every time he went off the property.”

The other yearling Purvis selected was Ultimatum (Ultimate Machete) who’s closely related to Isaiah, (Art Major) the winner of thirteen and Ariella (Art Major) who’s won five. Negus paid $3,000 for Ultimatum.

He’s had one start at Addington and will race there again tonight.

“We had a few steering issues, so I’ve changed his gear around a bit and his work’s been a lot sharper. Hopefully he shouldn’t be too far away from the one alley.”

Purvis currently has twenty one horses in work and is excited about having a younger team.

“I’ve got a nice enough team of three year olds at the minute and I’ve got another couple of two year olds that are starting to shape up quite nicely too. The Father Patrick colt (Jacks Point) we bought at the sales broke in well and is doing everything right. Hopefully he’ll be a progressive two year old as well.”

He added that he hasn’t had strong numbers at the races this season because he’s been concentrating on bringing through younger stock.

“I don’t mind the odd older one coming through with problems. When you’ve got a team of twenty five of them like we had last season it’s a bit hard on the brain.”

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by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink