Bits and Bridles

Champion harness racing trainer Mark Purdon saddled up his first galloping winner at Ellerslie today.

Buster Shaw in the hands of Jasmine Fawcett took out the first race for Purdon, whose horses prior to today’s win had recorded a second and two thirds at the races.

Edendale breeders Alex and Karen Milne have had a successful week.

Matai Henry (Terror To Love) won for Canterbury trainer Michael House and his driver son Wilson at Manawatu on Tuesday. And his half-sister Matai Lizzie (Gold Ace) won for the same combination later in the programme.

The Milnes still have shares in both Matai Henry and Matai Lizzie.

Their success continued when Matai Phil (Washington VC) trained by Peter and Vaughan Blanchard won the Country Cup Handicap Pace at Cambridge last night.

He was sold to the Blanchards unraced and since joining the stable he’s won four of his thirteen starts.

Last nights $600,000 The TAB Trot confirmed two more millionaire trotters in this country.

Queen Elida (Love You) which finished second in the feature trot, has now won $1,143,530 while Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) which finished fourth, has banked $1,045,634.

Forty One of Queen Elida’s eighty five starts have been in Group races and her Group One wins have been in the Need For Speed Princess Final, Victoria Trotters Oaks, Three Year Old Fillies Breeders Crown, La Coocaracha, MacArthur Mile and the Bill Collins Mile.

She is now the richest earning trotting mare in Australasia, surpassing One Over Kenny ($1,098,007).

Muscle Mountain has also carved out an outstanding record. His Group One wins include the New Zealand Trotting Championship (x3), National Trot (2) and New Zealand Trotting FFA.

He also holds four New Zealand records.

Other millionaires are Lyell Creek with $2,961,137, Sundon’s Gift ($1,460,561), I Can Doosit ($1,445,774), Sundees Son ($1,401,248), Speeding Spur ($1,304,992), Take A Moment ($1,164,356), Stent ($1,156,750), Oscar Bonavena ($1,142,791), One Over Kenny ($1,098,007), Keystone Del ($1,088,449), Tornado Valley ($1,031,977) and Vulcan ($1,025,892).

Former Gore trainer Trevor Cross is back in the game.

Cross who has held a licence since 1996, now trains at Dunsandel and recently qualified Shades Of Robyn (Sir Lincoln) at Rangiora.

He’s trained eight winners from a small number with his last winner The Wrath Of Robyn (Washington VC) in the 2015 G3 Four And Five Year Old Championship at Forbury Park. He beat Mossdale Conner and Isaiah.

That win was Craig Ferguson’s first ever Group win as a driver. The Wrath Of Robyn won eight of his thirty five starts.

Cambridge horsewoman Nicky Chilcott drove her 700th winner on her home track of Cambridge on Friday night.
In her career she’s driven two feature race winners; Sacred Mountain in the Group Three Cambridge Trotters Flying Mile and Kayla Nova in the Listed Great Northern Breeders Stakes.

She’s had the most success driving Wahoroa (9), Alien Waits (8), President Tornedo (8) and Shredder (8).
Of her 700 winners, 395 she has also trained. She’s driven 24 winners for Graham Neil and 12 each for Hec Bell and Sally Fenning.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink