Mystic Max slashes NZ record in G3 Hambletonian Classic

It had been some time since New Zealand harness racing’s best three-year-old trotters got together on race day for a Group Race feature, but on Monday afternoon at Ashburton Raceway, that’s exactly what we got.

The Hambletonian Classic served as a welcome addition to the undercard of ‘Magic Monday’, with the 36th edition of the Group Three sprint having found a new home on Labour Weekend as a result of the overhaul to the racing calendar in New Zealand late last year.

What it meant was some 18 months since the last running of the time-honoured trot, and instead of the condensed age group trotting calendar we have become accustomed to, trotting enthusiasts have been waiting a while for a race like the Hambletonian to appear.

And while the eleven-horse field may have been missing a couple of headline fillies such as Hidden Talent and Double Delight, the crux of the age group stars from the last 12 months were all on show and fighting for the $30,000 prize on offer.

Second up since his Group One victory in the Northern Trotting Derby, many were expecting an improved performance from the Robert and Jenna Dunn trained Highgrove who was gallant in chasing home the form three-year-old male of the spring, Hot To Trot (Creatine), a fortnight earlier.

Having his first start since May, G2 Sires Stakes Championship winner, Masterly (Love You), added some much welcome firepower to a field that also included another French bred G2 winner in Mystic Max (Village Mystic).

The Michael Purdon trained trotter was having his third run of this campaign and after a last start failure from behind the tapes in ratings company, the son of Village Mystic would have been relishing the opportunity to get back in behind the mobile where he has had much of his success.

When the gates released for the 1700m sprint, one of only two fillies in the race, Paramount Empress (Muscle Hill) showed great gate speed to cross Hot To Trot and set about trying to replicate the deeds of her mother nine years earlier when Paramount Queen (Love You) led them all of the way.

Ottley soon had Hot To Trot out from a trailing position to assume the lead and with 1000m to run found company at her wheel when John Dunn and Highgrove worked forward to get outside the lead and within striking distance.

Sitting quietly three the fence were Mystic Max and Blair Orange and with the speed on in abundance up front, found themselves sweating on gaps to appear in the long Ashburton straight.

The countries leading reinsman hasn’t won 2454 by chance and worked the oracle getting off the fence with Mystic Max and onto the back of Highgrove with just over 300m to run.

With Highgrove going rough in his gait while trying to chase down Hot To Trot, it was soon clear that the flashy bay charging down the center of the track was travelling like a winner, and so it prevailed.

Mystic Max and Orange scored by half a length from a game Hot To Trot who did all the donkey work in setting up a NZ Record with the filly Paramount Empress one- and three-quarter lengths away in third.

MYSTIC MAX REPLAY

“I’m thrilled with that, yet again Blair has just driven him perfectly and he always seems to have a sprint in the finish,” said Michael Purdon talking to Harness Racing Unhinged post-race.

“He must have lost a shoe in the running, thankfully he doesn’t wear any weight up front, so it obviously didn’t affect him too much,” he said.

Mystic Max stopped the clock in 2:03.4 and shaved almost three seconds off the 1700m record for three-year-old’s which speaks volumes to the effort of the Mark Jones runner who missed narrowly on a 1:56.8-mile rate which on its own is only .3 seconds off the quickest mile ever run for this age group.

For Purdon and Mystic Max it was win number four from start 15 with six placings to his name also.

The son of Village Mystic is the only progeny by his sire in the country and was acquired via the auction website, Gavelhouse Standardbred for a bargain price of $9501 neat.

With $92,037 to his name in stakes, Purdon looks to be a chip off the old block when it comes to judging a standardbred, having purchased the then colt with nothing more than a photo and a pedigree page to go by.

The pair will look to continue their winning form with the $20,000 Sundon Stakes for the colts and geldings scheduled alongside the New Zealand trotting Oaks on November 25th, which forms as the last building block on the road to the G1 $100,000 NZ Trotting Derby a week later (Dec 4th.)

For complete Ashburton Raceway results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink