Self Assured wins first slot race

Harness racing champion pacer Self Assured has won New Zealand’s first slot race tonight at Cambridge Raceway for Canterbury trainers Hayden Cullen and Mark Purdon.

The former New Zealand Cup winner showed his outstanding staying qualities by doing a power of work during the running and holding off a slashing late run from the Aussie raider Majestic Cruiser to narrowly win the first running of the $900,000 listed race in the hands of driver Mark Purdon.

An elated Mark Purdon who has won almost everything there is to win in harness racing was happy all the hard work getting Self Assured to the race had paid off.

“I am really stoked. The team has worked hard to prepare the horses for this race and now it has all paid off,”he said after the race.

“To win the first running of The Race is something special,” he said.

Self Assured (Bettor’s Delight) had to be good to win and Purdon drove him with confidence making a move with a lap to go, going up to sit parked.

“Yes there was a couple of moves made early and that kept the tempo of the race up and then with a lap to run they backed off the speed and I knew South Coast Arden had done a bit of work to get to the front, so I thought I would move up and get outside him and be right there with him,” Purdon said.

Self Assured showed his toughness in the straight to win by a neck from Majestic Cruiser with Spankem running on well for third. South Coast Arden faded to fourth after leading for the last lap and a quarter.

Self Assured ran the 2200m mobile event in a mile rate of 1-55.1 with a last 800m in 56.8 seconds.

View the Cambridge results click here!

Harnesslink Media