Blair Orange gets his 100th winner in 2024

Vrilo’s (Sunshine Beach) success at Addington on Sunday continued a remarkable run for the country’s leading harness racing driver Blair Orange.

It marked his 100th success in 2024. It’s the 11th year in a row he’s hit three figures, with his most successful season being the 267 wins he had in the elongated 2021 season (August 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2021).

This year Orange is poised to make it seven driving premierships in a row. His 100 wins places him 10 ahead of second-placed John Dunn.

It’s also been announced that he is re-joining the Purdon stables at Rolleston. It’s expected he will work there four days a week and be their top driver though he will continue to freelance for other trainers as well. In the past he’s had a lot of success with the stable highlighted by his 2019 New Zealand Cup win with Cruz Bromac.

“I get the chance to share the load in the barn routine knowing that someone of Blair’s quality is there and he gets to drive our best horses,” co-trainer Nathan Purdon told the Purdon Racing website.

It’s a time of great change at Purdon Racing (All Stars), with Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, once harness racing’s most dominant force, both toning down their involvement in the sport.

Mark Purdon is still officially in partnership with Nathan but is now based at Matamata in the Waikato and is looking after stable stars Oscar Bonavena and Millwood Nike, while Natalie Rasmussen is taking a step back and her last win was with Chase A Dream in the Garrards Sires’ Stakes 3YO Colts and Geldings Final at Addington in May.

Former employee Olivia Thornley has moved to one-time All Stars trainer Hayden Cullen’s barn at West Melton, with Cullen acquiring star pacers Don’t Stop Dreaming and We Walk By Faith.

Orange will start his new gig at the start of next month.

On Sunday Vrilo was his second winner on the day, following Farewell Spit’s success two races earlier in the “Buy Kiwi Made” Standing at Wai Eyre Farm Pace. Both winners are by Sunshine Beach.

Orange dominated from the outset in the Thanks Rangiora Equine Services Mobile Pace.

Drawn out wide at seven, Vrilo was hunted to the front and the five-year-old was too slick for her rivals, though Country Gold had a late dab, finishing second by half a neck.

“We are very happy with her,” says Vrilo’s trainer Jackie Burrows.

It was her third win in 32 starts and the second for Burrows since she took over training the mare earlier this year.

“She was always going to be a horse that needed some time. She was a narrow looking horse that hit its knee bad when she was younger. So after being out for nearly 12 months, if not more, she’s got a lot thicker across the chest and is a lot bigger and happier now,” says Burrows.

“She loves grass tracks. So we will just potter around for now and then put her on some of the circuits later in the season.”

Vrilo came into Burrows’ care after a few drinks and a chat with Alan Edge who was spelling the horse at the time.

“We’d been out of the pacers for so long but things are looking like they’re improving in the industry, so Vrilo was just sitting in the paddock and Alan said ‘well do you want to take her’ and so we did.”

It was Burrows’ 13th win as a harness racing trainer, to go with the 44 she’s had in the thoroughbred code.

Burrows also has a qualified but yet to race four-year-old Sweet Lou gelding, One Of These Nights.

“He goes along alright so we will go to the workouts and trials in a couple of weeks.”

She also has acquired Titian Franco, a three-year-old Vincent filly , bred by Spreydon Lodge, who was sixth in her only race day start at Oamaru last December.

As well as Orange’s double on Sunday, Jonny Cox had two driving successes with The Night Fox and Dancing Glenis while trainer Bruce Negus won with Foveaux Gambler and Dancing Glenis.

For complete race results, click here.

by Mike Love, for Harness Racing New Zealand