Purdon powers up for Auckland

Like most people in Auckland, visiting harness racing trainer Mark Purdon is over the weather and looking forward to returning home to Canterbury.

“You think you’re in for a nice day but by nine o’clock it’s clouded over and the clouds are getting blacker and you’re in for squally showers all day,” he said.

Purdon, who returns to race night driving tomorrow night, has been campaigning horses in the north since the middle of February. He’ll be heading home after the Auckland Cup and Rowe Cup night at the Park next Friday.

The wet weather has led to some of his team getting greasy heel.  

“The horses are okay. You’d rather not be dealing with it but you can’t get away from it.”

Weather aside, Purdon and his son Nathan have some strong winning chances across the feature races.

In the $40,000 IRT Young Guns Trotters Series Final the training partnership has two quality fillies in We Can Have It All (Volstead) and High Step (Father Patrick).

Purdon says you can ‘put a line through’ both of We Can Have It All’s starts.

“She shouldn’t have broken at her last start. It was just her inexperience when the horse out in front of her broke and she went out in sympathy. At home and in work she’s generally a pretty solid trotter. If everything went to plan I’d be surprised if anything went wrong. Blair (Orange) was happy with the way she was travelling before that happened. Gauging my two on their work there’s not too much between them.”

Purdon was happy with High Step’s debut right handed at Alexandra Park last Friday.

“I think Moonstone (Monkey Bones) is going to be the horse to beat but High Step is in a good place and has trained on well since that last run. Just looking at Moonstone after her race she’s very imposing and very strong for a two year old trotter.”

The $45,000 Listed Roy Purdon Memorial Handicap named after Mark’s father is the feature pace on the programme and the stable is represented by Self Assured (Bettor’s Delight) and Akuta (Bettor’s Delight) both of which will start off the 20 metre mark. 

“I think Self Assured is in a slightly better place than Akuta. His training has been really really good, and he has thrived since he’s been up here. It’s only a small field and that’s a help because over 2200 metres you need a little bit of an advantage. He was good enough to win it last year and I think he’s in as good a place this year to perhaps do it again.”

Purdon has been very conscious of looking after Akuta on this trip, knowing he’s a young horse facing the FFA grade for the first time.

“The Race by Grins, the Taylor Mile were both hard races, so I thought having some time off was a good opportunity just to freshen him up. He’s freshened up nicely and is working well but if I had to pick between the two of them it’d be Self Assured.” 

The HR Fisken and Sons 2023 Anzac Cup has drawn an even field and without the might of Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill) there’s more than a handful of winning chances including the Purdon runner Oscar Bonavena (Majestic Son) who ran a creditable third at his last start.

“It’s a pretty even field on paper. I’m very happy with Oscar and the way he’s trained since his last run, he seems to be in a pretty good place. It’s a twelve horse field and he’s off a twenty metre handicap which won’t be easy. I think if he gets any sort of drag into the race, he’ll certainly make his presence felt.”

The $130,000 Group One Magness Benrow Sires Stakes Three Year Old Fillies Final will be dominated by the exceptional three year old filly Millwood Nike (Captaintreacherous) who has the draw to lead.

“She’s in as good a place as she was last start. She appears to be a class above her rivals. This race caps off the first part of her season and going for fourteen (wins) it’ll be nice if she can pull it off.” 

The Purdon barn also has Fortify (Bettor’s Delight) which draws gate four, and Mon Lancome (Captaintreacherous) which will start from gate six.

“Fortify is going well and is a good place chance but Millwood Nike is a class above my other two runners.”

The action packed night of premier racing at Alexandra Park gets underway at 5:28pm with coverage on Trackside One.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink