Racing: Mark Purdon matter of fat - Akuta fitter and more potent

Akuta. Photo / Monica Toretto

Champion trainer Mark Purdon has two reasons why Akuta will bounce back in the $100,000 Flying Stakes at Addington on Friday night.

Purdon has his usual dominant hand in the age group features, albeit with his male juveniles facing a northern raider in the unbeaten Merlin in the $200,000 feature.

But for all the talent on show, including superstar trotters Muscle Mountain and Sundees Son in the Trotting Cup, Akuta will attract the most eyeballs.

A Jewels and Derby winner, he is rated the heir apparent to the New Zealand pacing throne. But that quest suffered a blow when he was a well-beaten fourth in three-year-old company last start.

Purdon says a stricter diet and less paddock time will make Akuta fitter and more potent.

"I just don't think he was fit enough last start and I think with all the spring grass coming through he had got away on us and gotten too fat inside," said Purdon. "So he has less time in the paddock now so he can't eat as much grass and he is getting less in his feed bin at night. While I think this run will also bring him on further, I am confident he will go better."

Akuta will need to win to be considered a serious chance in the NZ Cup and Purdon says he will head forward from his wide draw to put horses between himself and last-start conqueror Republican Party.

He won't have that option with Don't Stop Dreaming, his unbeaten juvenile and best hope in the $200,000 feature, as he has drawn the outside of the second line.

"It is going to be a tough race because I can see Merlin getting across the ones inside him on the front line easily enough," said Purdon.

"So my horse might have to come sit parked outside him and while he might be able to win doing that it would be easy. It will be a good race."

Another unbeaten juvenile in Millwood Nike will be unbackable to win race six. But Purdon says stablemate Luvstruck seems happier back home than she was during her recent Auckland campaign and could get close.

Away from the age group racing, the handicap pace is a beauty with far more New Zealand Cup relevance than expected.

It boasts in-form depth from stablemates B D Joe and Allamerican-lover and Heza Sport, while there are question marks over Kango and Krug after their last-start failures, so there could be some market or NZ Cup rankings shuffling.

It is unlikely Sundees Son and Muscle Mountain will gallop again in the big trot but their last-start shenanigans might have some punters steering away from short odds in what will be a telling pointer to the month of trotting features ahead.