Just 10 days after his second New Zealand Cup triumph in Christchurch, champion Kiwi pacer Lazarus has been beaten in his first start in Perth's Inter Dominion series.
All the talk pre-race was whether Lazarus, from an outside draw, could match it with local star Soho Tribeca, who had drawn barrier two and was a likely leader.
Soho Tribeca's trainer, Kim Prentice, who won the 2003 Inter Dominion in Christchurch with Baltic Eagle, talked up a big game during the week. And he backed it up in spades.
Lazarus was brave in defeat, sitting parked for the last 1400m outside the winner, but a searing 54.5secs final half-mile meant he couldn't reel in the leader.
His co-trainer and driver, Mark Purdon, still managed feature race success with gun 4-year-old Ultimate Machete taking out the Group 1 A$125,000 ($138,500) Yes Loans 4YO Classic for him and partner Natalie Rasmussen.
He started as $1.10 favourite from the coveted ace draw but was crossed early on by both Wardan Express and Rock Diamonds.
Purdon was off the pegs as quick as a flash and straight round to the lead, a position from which he dominated the race.
He burned a 1.53.8 mile-rate around the half-mile track and cleared out to win comfortably by 11m, showing no ill-effects from his New Zealand Free For All win at Addington seven days earlier and the significant travel.
Purdon's Have Faith In Me finished second last behind all-the-way winner Chicago Bull. Aussie champion Lennytheshark won the other heat, also leading from start to finish in the hands of Chris Alford. Completing the Purdon and Rasmussen squad was Piccadilly Princess, who put in a good effort for fifth, from an unsuitable second line draw, in the A$50,000 Norms Daughter Classic for mares.
The Inter Dominion series now moves to the 960m Bunbury track on Tuesday night for another round of A$75,000 heats.
Lazarus has again drawn poorly, second from the outside in a race where Tiger Tara is drawn to lead.
- NZ Harness News