Horse racing: Purdon’s galloper on debut at weekend

Auckland Cup winner Akuta has drawn the second line in a capacity field at Addington on Friday.

Champion trainer Mark Purdon is unusually excited about this weekend’s racing, and not just because of the return of three of his pacing superstars on Friday night.

Purdon and his son/training partner Nathan have Auckland Cup winners Akuta and Self Assured both resuming in the $60,000 Canterbury Classic at Addington, as well as leading 3-year-old pacer Don’t Stop Dreaming in the Lazarus Stakes.

That is a lot of equine firepower to be unleashing in just 30 minutes on Friday, but their returns are only one reason Purdon is buzzing about the weekend.

Around 18 hours later Purdon will have his first thoroughbred starter in a new phase in his career when the aptly-named Captain Roy debuts in an 800-metre race at Riccarton.

Purdon went shopping at the Karaka thoroughbred sales in January and has four gallopers in work, with Captain Roy, named after his late Hall of Fame father Roy, the most advanced.

“He is a son of Savabeel and doing everything right so I am excited to get him to the track,” Purdon told the Herald. “He went to Ashburton for a jump-out last week and then jumped out again at Riccarton on Monday.

“Training the gallopers has been a real learning curve for me but I have enjoyed it, working with a different sort of horse and mixing with some different people.

“Kin Kwo has been really helpful and he will ride Captain Roy on Saturday.”

Training thoroughbreds is only a working hobby for Purdon at this stage but the pressure is on as he shares in the ownership of Captain Roy with his brothers and sisters, including fellow training legend Barry. Captain Roy will attract a lot less investment than the huge Group 1-winning names Purdon takes to Addington on Friday night, and while he is happy with all of them, he warns punters to be careful in both the Canterbury Classic and the Lazarus Stakes. Akuta has drawn the second line in a capacity field for the Classic over a 2600m standing start, and unless he can squeeze through the pack early, he could be giving fitter rivals like B.D. Joe and Aardie’s Express a start, while $2.1-million earner Self Assured has drawn wide on the front line.

“They both trialled well last week but these races are hard to win fresh up,” says Purdon of the two New Zealand Cup favourites.

“If they get the right type of runs they can win, but if they have to work in the middle stages and one of the good horses is in front or in the trail, then it becomes a lot harder.”

Purdon says on their work there is very little between Akuta and Self Assured at this stage but he thinks as the season develops, Akuta may improve more, being three years younger.

Don’t Stop Dreaming starts his campaign in the Lazarus Stakes and is aimed at the Flying Stakes (October 13) and New Zealand Derby (December 10). While he is clearly the best horse in the field, there is a lot of speed on the inside as he got barrier 9 under the preferential draw conditions.

“I think from that draw, we have to be conservative early and try and get home later to win. Preferential draws make it really hard on the best horses when they are returning.”

The stable’s unbeaten filly Millwood Nike returns to the trials tomorrow and could race next week while last season’s Zealand Oaks winner No Matter Wat could be retired to stud after recurring soreness issues.