Purdon’s getting ready to go galloping

Something harness racing trainer Mark Purdon has been contemplating has become a reality with the All Stars stables purchasing three quality thoroughbred yearlings at last month’s yearling sales at Karaka.

“I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while. It’s been a passion. I enjoy watching domestic and Australian racing at Flemington and Rosehill on a Saturday. I’ve got some good friends in galloping that I enjoy catching up with. It’s been something inside of me that I wanted to do and I just thought if I don’t do it now I’ll never do it,” he said.

Brother Barry has trained gallopers with some success and he was a good sounding board for Mark.

“I said I was coming up to go to the Sales and at that stage we were just going to buy one. We ended by buying three and Barry has taken a share in two.”

Legendary galloping trainer Jim Gibb races horses out of the All Stars barn but he and his wife Ann have declined the offer to get back into that code.

“I did give them the opportunity but because they’ve retired, he said they might have a year off from buying standardbreds or thoroughbreds.”

Mark says at this point he doesn’t see too much being added to the current stable and track complex at Rolleston.

“The track’s got a good bit of top on it but I’ll be feeling my way a little bit and if there’s anything that needs to be done I’ll make sure it happens so that the job’s done properly.”

Purdon envisages going in to the Riccarton galloping track at least twice a week.

“I think we’ve got the amenities here to do the ground work.”

He says senior jockey Sam Wynne has already reached out to help with track work riding.

“She’s still recovering from injury but she contacted me when she heard I was getting a licence and said she’d be happy to work in with me and I’ve kept in contact with her.”

He says it was a new experience going to the Thoroughbred Sales and fleshing out yearlings to buy but he stuck to the same model he uses when buying standardbred yearlings.

“I didn’t really know what to look for in a thoroughbred but I just followed the same formula that I use when looking for a nice standardbred. I looked at the page first and there were a few things I wanted to see in the pedigree. I made a list of horses I wanted to see. I then made up a short list of the ones I wanted to see. I ended up with seven on the short list, two failed the vet and we ended up bringing three of the five home.”

Purdon hadn’t lined up any partners prior to the Sales.

“I didn’t talk to anyone apart from Barry, but everything came together and they were all sold before they left the Sales complex. I had a call from Danny Zavitsanos (owner of New Zealand Trotting Cup winner Cruz Bromac). He’d watch me buy one and rang me straight afterwards, and said he’d take him. Others contacted me keen to be in and they took shares in the Proisir I bought later in the day.”

Purdon will be registering his All Stars colour for his new venture and he’s excited particularly with his Savabeel colt.

“I was delighted to get him. He came from Waikato Stud who do a great job and produce a lot of winners. It was a great thrill when the hammer came down.”

Purdon says two of the yearlings will head to Danny Frye’s stable this week to be broken in while the Savabeel colt is just on hold at the moment.

“He’s had a small setback with an abrasion on one leg. It’s nothing serious but I’ll keep him at home a little bit longer.” 

Purdon says the purchasing of thoroughbreds hasn’t affected his budget for next weeks standardbred sales and he’s looking forward to seeing what’s on offer there.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink