Clevedon barn hold a strong hand in Harness Million

Meant To Be (NZ) (Father Patrick) will be out to continue his picket fence form line when he heads to Alexandra Park on Friday night to contest the Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million 3YO Trotters Final (2200m).

Purchased out of Breckon Farms’ 2023 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft at Karaka by his trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan for $145,000, Meant To Be has gone on to win six of his nine starts, three of those at stakes level, including his last five straight.

The son of Father Patrick will be first-up on Friday following a spell, and heads into the race off the back of just one private trial as a result of adverse weather last week.

“He has only had a private trial because the track wasn’t too good last week at Pukekohe, so Scotty (Phelan, co-trainer) took him out on Monday, he had a trot around and went well,” Purdon said. “Whatever he does he will be a bit better for, but he shouldn’t be far away.”

Meant To Be is out of Group One New Zealand Trotting Derby (2600m) heroine Luby Lou, and he will be seeking to replicate the feats of his mother this season.

“His mother won the Derby, and he is a good-looking, athletic horse with plenty of speed,” Purdon said. “The (Northern Trotting) Derby (Gr.1, 2700m) will be his next mission.”

Stablemate and fellow NZB Standardbred graduate Higher Power (NZ) (Father Patrick) is on a similar path and will also line-up in Friday’s Harness Million.

Higher Power also hails from trotting royalty, being the son of multiple Group One winner High Gait (NZ) (Muscles Yankee), a full-sister to dual Group One winner (Our) Twentyten (NZ) (Muscles Yankee).

His trainers had to duly stretch to $120,000 to purchase him out of Breckon Farms’ 2023 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft, and he has gone on to win two of his six starts to date, including last year’s Group Three Young Guns 2YO Trotters Series Final (1700m).

He also heads into Friday’s assignment first-up, having finished runner-up behind Meant To Be in the NZB Standardbred Harness Million 2YO Mobile Trot (1980m) at Addington last year.

While he was bested by his stablemate in their last meeting, Purdon said Higher Power is more forward this preparation and has drawn five, whereas Meant To Be will need plenty of luck from the outside of the second row.

“He (Higher Power) is a nice horse,” Purdon said. “He made a couple of uncharacteristic breaks early on last time but hopefully he is over all of that. 

“He is a nice trotter, he is sensible as a rule, so we will just take him on trust. 

“He has had a good preparation, probably a bit better than Meant To Be, only because Meant To Be took a bit longer.”

The pair are dominating the betting with TAB bookmakers, with Meant To Be sitting atop of the market at $1.85, while High Power is on the second line of betting at $4.80.

In another of the night’s features, the Group One Dawson Harford Taylor Mile (1609m) the Clevedon barn will be represented by NZB Standardbred graduates Merlin (NZ) (Art Major) and Sooner The Bettor (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight).

Merlin was brave when placing behind Leap To Fame (Bettor’s Delight) in last Friday’s $1 million The Race by betcha (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway, while Sooner The Bettor heads into Friday off the back of a fifth placing in the Group Two Waikato Pacers Flying Mile (1609m) at the Waikato track a week prior.

Purdon has been pleased with the way Merlin has come through last week’s run and he expects a bold showing from Sooner The Bettor after he drew barrier two in the mile feature.

“Merlin is really good, he has come through it well,” Purdon said. “He has drawn out a bit (7), but we are really thrilled with him, his work has been great.

“Sooner The Bettor has drawn two so he will be one off the fence if he can’t cross them early. He is one of those horses that on his day can be good.”

Merlin is a dominant $1.90 favourite with TAB bookmakers, while Sooner The Bettor is rated a $12 winning chance.

NZB Standardbred Harness Million 3YO Trotters Final contenders:

For complete race entries, click here.

From NZB Standardbred