NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Racing

Racing: Lazarus rises again to win the Hunter Cup

By Michael Guerin
NZ Herald·
4 Feb, 2018 01:19 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Kiwi pacing machine Lazarus. Photo / Stuart McCormick

Kiwi pacing machine Lazarus. Photo / Stuart McCormick

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The difference between racing's very good and its greatest was never more evident than in Lazarus's A$500,000 Hunter Cup victory.

The Kiwi pacing machine overcame slight race fitness concerns after his recent soundness scare to crush many of the best Australasia has to offer, becoming New Zealand's richest ever pacer in the process.

But while the victory continues his surge up the leader board of the all-time harness heroes, just a few days earlier what he makes looks so easy was looking anything but.

Because on Wednesday his trainer-driver Mark Purdon was worried after Lazarus smashed in track work by his own stablemate Heaven Rocks, who himself was a brave and luckless third on Saturday night.

"I'll admit on Wednesday I was worried," said a beaming Purdon, who trains Lazarus with Natalie Rasmussen.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I shouldn't have been. When it comes to race night Laz knows. He knows what it is about and knows to get serious.

"He did all that work and they tell me broke the track record, he is just an incredible horse."

The difference is Heaven Rocks is a very good athlete, Lazarus is a champion racehorse.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Even the clock agreed, Lazarus clipping a full second off the track record mile rate, pacing a 1:54.1 rate for the 2760m mobile.

After being forced to miss the West Australia Cup two weeks ago because of his hoof concussion issues, Lazarus lived up to his name and Purdon admits it is one of the most satisfying wins of his Hall of Fame career.

But Lazarus still had one jewel in harness racing's crown to secure, the A$750,000 Miracle Mile at Menangle on February 24 to confirm his coronation.

He will contest a prelude there on February 17 and Purdon has no concerns about the hoof soreness returning.

Discover more

Racing

Perfect White Robe result for local pair

03 Feb 04:00 PM
Racing

Bit Lippy makes statement

03 Feb 04:00 PM
Racing

Beefeater comes to the party

03 Feb 04:00 PM
Racing

Treasure's odds slashed for Oaks after easy win

04 Feb 04:00 PM

"He will be fine. He recovered from that pretty quickly so I don't have any concerns going to Sydney."

After passing Monkey King as our richest pacer he now has his sights on Blacks A Fake's title as the highest earner in Australasian history.

He is still over $1million shy of that target but the indications are he will race on next season rather than going to stud.

With the Miracle Mile still to come this month and the Inter Dominions moving back to Victoria next year, meaning Lazarus won't need to travel to Perth, he could take on over $4million worth of races next season.

If he can maintain his present stunning level, he could retire the richest and maybe even the best the Southern Hemisphere has produced.

Still, Menangle and the Mile will present different challenges, it being the race where famously he was beaten fair and square for one of the few times in his career.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The beaten drivers behind him produced some stunners on Saturday night and Greg Sugars couldn't have driven brave runner-up Soho Tribeca any better but like most was left shaking his heads after chasing the wonder horse.

"My horse went great and I was happy enough with my drive but really what can you do against that?" asked Sugars.

But trainer Michael Stanley issued a Miracle Mile warning.

"We were thrilled with how our horse went and when you are beaten by a horse like that what can you do," said Stanley.

"But the Miracle Mile is our chance. If we can draw inside him (Lazarus) and get to the front I think he is beatable."

We will find out on February 24.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

To get the day's top sports stories in your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Racing

Racing

Mick On Monday: Wood's feeling Smug after making brave call

13 Jul 05:00 PM
Racing

Words of warning as superstar steeplechaser returns

12 Jul 05:00 PM
Racing

Racing’s two codes look to join forces

11 Jul 12:19 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Racing

Mick On Monday: Wood's feeling Smug after making brave call

Mick On Monday: Wood's feeling Smug after making brave call

13 Jul 05:00 PM

A horse who lost his way last start returned to down a champion at Woodville.

Words of warning as superstar steeplechaser returns

Words of warning as superstar steeplechaser returns

12 Jul 05:00 PM
Racing’s two codes look to join forces

Racing’s two codes look to join forces

11 Jul 12:19 AM
Foote stable favoured by global racing giant in coup for NZ

Foote stable favoured by global racing giant in coup for NZ

10 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP