Self Assured sublime in NZ Pacing FFA

If Ben Hope’s drive behind Muscle Mountain was the best losing drive of Cup and Show week, harness racing legend Mark Purdon produced the best winning drive of the week to secure Group One victory for he and Self Assured (Bettor’s Delight) in the $200,000 New Zealand Pacing Free For All.

The world champion reinsman looked to be in a hopeless position sitting stone motherless last with a lap to run in the 1980m feature. But as he has done time and time again, Purdon produced a sublime steer to deny the gallant Australian visitor Majestic Cruiser a second G1 on New Zealand soil.

“It was a great thrill actually, if he had got into the first three with where he was at the half, I would have been wrapped, but to win was just fantastic,” said Mark Purdon.

“I could see the early speed was there and I thought if he was doing it at both ends, he might have been tired running up the straight. I was hoping to be on the back of either Old Town Road or Majestic Cruiser and that’s how it turned out,” he said.

There were fireworks early as the Open Class pacers jostled for early position, with the Steve & Amanda Telfer trained Alta Wiseguy (Mach Three) and Tim Williams fending off stern challenges from Heza Sport (Sportswriter) and Spankem (Bettor’s Delight) to hold the lead heading into the showgrounds bend.

Cranbourne worked forward to the parked position and with a lap to run was joined by race favourite, Rock N Roll Doo (Rock N Roll Heaven), who was made to work hard to find the chair outside the pacemaker. At the 800m, Cam Hart set the Jason Grimson trained Majestic Cruiser alight with Zachary Butcher and Old Town Road (Bettor’s Delight) finding his back.

Purdon and Self Assured joined them in the three wide line and remained last with 600m to run, but quickly improved as the sheer speed of the pair he was following gave the All Stars champ an ideal cart into the race.

With Alta Wiseguy on the retreat 400m from home, it was the Australian pair of Majestic Cruiser and Rock N Roll Doo who took the ascendency and dashed clear with a furlong to run.

Old Town Road mounted a strong challenge and a ding dong battle ensued for the length of the straight before the well-timed charge of Purdon saw Self Assured claim his first NZ FFA triumph.

“He was a bit unlucky on Tuesday, Tony was disappointed things didn’t pan out a little better for him because he thought he would have been hard to beat but he has just come through that run super and today he has backed it up and come out on top,” said Purdon.

“It’s been another wonderful day’s racing and I think with Sundees Son winning and now this bloke, the crowd have seen a couple of champions come out on top,” he said.

The winning time of 2:21.9 was the slowest NZ FFA since the distance was moved back to the 1980m marker five years ago and was almost a full five seconds slower than the previous year.

The last mile was run in a sizzling 1:55.3, with the last half run in 56.8 off the front which speaks volumes to the performance of the winner given he was 15 lengths last at the 800m.

SELF ASSURED REPLAY

Majestic Cruiser was awesome going down a half head having worked three and four wide on his own at the half.

“It was a huge run again and it was probably just the barrier draw in the end which meant we ended up so far back, but I’m really happy with the horse,” said his young Australian driver, Cam Hart.

“He did plenty of work in the running again and was still powering to the line. All going well we would like to bring him over for ‘The Race’ again next year, so hopefully he is still going well enough.

“Jason (Grimson) and I have enjoyed our time over here so much and all the locals have been very inviting, and it’s been a great week. I’ve got a lot of respect for Mark and Self Assured, he’s been a champion horse and he just keeps turning up in these big races,” he said.

The least experienced horse in the field went another massive race with the four-year-old Old Town Road fighting like a tiger to the line despite being luckless in the running yet again. The unluckiest runner was undeniably B D Joe (Roll With Joe), who having been carted back by his tiring stable mate and losing valuable momentum on the opposition, charged home, only to run into more traffic woes, finishing hard on the backs of the leading quartet.

The win of Self Assured was the 27th career victory for Self Assured and remarkably bought up the century of wins for the progeny of his dam, Star Of Venus.

The Christian Cullen mare has been a remarkable producer having left four other black type winners from her eight foals for Wellington breeder, Reg Caldow.

For his owner, Jean Feiss, Self Assured secured her second G1 success of Cup & Show Week having won the Nevele R Fillies Final with True Fantasy (Bettor’s Delight) on Tuesday.

To cap off a phenomenal week, she went ahead and won the final race of the carnival with another 12/10 steer from Mark Purdon aboard the talented Cyrus (Bettor’s Delight).

For complete Show Day results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink