Purdon confident about Amazing Dream’s return

Nathan Purdon is excited and even a bit confident about Amazing Dream’s return in Friday night’s $80,000 Group 2 Kilmore Cup.

A sharp recent Melton trial and another strong workout at home yesterday (Tuesday) has Purdon expecting a huge first-up showing from the champion mare.

“She’s as fit as I can possibly get her without a race,” he said. “She looks really well, better than Queensland when she was at the end of a long campaign.

“She didn’t have that long out, but it’s really done her well.”

Amazing Dream, aiming to become just the second mare to win the Kilmore Cup since its inception in 1974, will also have to overcome a back row draw (gate 10).

“Some might think the draw is a negative, but I don’t, especially not over the long (2690m) trip,” Purdon said. “There’s lots of speed on the front row and Anthony (Butt, driver) can just balance her up early and decide what he does from there.

“She’s so versatile he can make an early move or sit back and come with one run.

“I know she’s been driven tough in so many of her races, but she’s very fast, too.”

Amazing Dream (Bettor’s Delight) goes straight from Kilmore to the $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup, which has been moved from Melton to Bendigo, on October 9.

“As well as she is this week, the run will top her off nicely for the Victoria Cup,” Purdon said.

It’s a big night for Purdon, now based at Lara near Geelong, with American Dealer (American Ideal) also having his first run for the stable at Kilmore on Friday.

“His trial was excellent at Melton a couple of weeks back and he’s come on well since,” he said. “I haven’t quite got him screwed down as much as Amazing Dream, because this is the first of three runs he’ll have in as many weeks into the Victoria Derby.

“He’s a class horse. Anthony (Butt) knows him so well after driving him Queensland and he said he felt really sharp in that Melton trial. I’m sure he’ll run well even from the draw (outside back row) at Kilmore.”

Purdon’s stocks are set to be further boosted with his other stable star, Spellbound, set to trial at Melton next week.

“She’s back on track after a minor hiccup set her back a couple of weeks. She’ll either return on October 9 at Bendigo or the 16th at Ballarat,” he said.

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by Adam Hamilton