Racing: Lancome ready to sparkle

Driver Mark Purdon. Photo / Dean Purcell.

Champion trainer Mark Purdon knows the further Jewels day progresses the harder it will get.

Purdon will unleash his traditional monster team at the Jewels, with 16 starters at tomorrow's $1.2 million meeting at Ashburton.

And while he has realistic winning chances in at least four races, he says his best is early.

Lancome looks one of the bets of the day in the 4-year-old mares' race to open the programme, coming back from open-class racing to take on mainly lower-grade mares.

And she has potent back-up in stablemate Secret Potion, who is just as clearly the second-best mare in the race, so it would be a huge upset if Purdon doesn't start the day with a win.

"Lancome is the best of those two and our best chance all day," Purdon told the Herald. "She has the speed to get across and lead and if they go hard that will also bring Secret Potion into the race but Lancome really looks hard to beat." Purdon has an array of talent on show, from horses like Tatijana Bromac, who is flying but simply can't beat Carabella in race three, to Contador, who faces a similar problem in race six.

But after the initial Lancome buzz Purdon still rates his chance highly in three more Jewels races.

He has a dominant hand in the 2-year-old fillies' pace where Veste is rated his best chance alongside O Baby and Dancing Diamonds.

"Veste has the draw and the ability whereas I think out of all of mine Dancing Diamonds just might be the one who is starting to feel the effects of a long season," said Purdon.

Cowgirls N Indians looms as the logical danger in that race.

Purdon has four in the male juvenile pace, including the two favourites, Fly Like An Eagle and Western Cullen, and he says it is hard to split the pair.

"Fly Like An Eagle trialled well last week but has drawn wide so I think if Western Cullen can get the lead he will be just as hard to beat."

Major Mark (race seven) is also racing well but has drawn outside Gold Ace and Terror To Love so faces a huge challenge while the same could be said of rapid improver Escapee, who can win race two but has to claw past Flying Isa to do so.

And in the toughest race of the day Purdon has Russley Rascal, the one-time star of this crop, looking to regain some respect in the 4-year-old ranks.

"He is going well enough but this is a hot field and they could go quick so it won't be an easy race to win."

JEWELS DAY
What: Harness Jewels, $1.2 million raceday.
Where: Ashburton.
When: Tomorrow, first race 11.25am.
Who: Best young standardbreds in the country.
Betting: Fixed odds all races, $100,000 Pick6.
Best Bet: Lancome (race one).
Best each way: Gomeo Romeo (race nine).
Best roughie: Hot Holiday (race four).