Racing: Messenger to be missed by the Taylor Mile victor

Akuta. Photo / Supplied

Taylor Mile winner Akuta is going to be allowed to miss the Group 1 Messenger at Alexandra Park this Friday, even though there is nothing wrong with the star four-year-old.

Akuta beat his stablemate Self Assured and impressive Victorian pacer Better Eclipse in the last stride of the $90,000 Mile at Alexandra Park on Friday after an early burn saw hot favourite Copy That left vulnerable in front.

He was the third different winner in the three open-class pacing features in the north in 15 days, confirming the evenness of the crop, and post-race Akuta was the $3 equal favourite for the Messenger.

But his co-trainer Mark Purdon says he is set to bypass the 2700m mobile.

“He has raced three weeks in a row and I don’t want to make it four, especially in what could be a hard 2700m,” says Purdon.

“He is still only four and in his first real season of open-class racing so if he misses this week I can get him ready for Dad’s race (The Roy Purdon Memorial, May 19) and the Auckland Cup a week later.”

Purdon says the short break will enable Akuta to have his hocks undergo their routine maintenance treatment, which because of the withholding times for medication he can’t have the same week he races.

“He has always had a few hock issues but he was the best he has been this last week,” Purdon explains.

“But Friday was a hard run and his run the week before in The Race was also hard so I don’t want to keep asking him to do that every week.

“I still think he is getting better and with a good spell after the Auckland Cup I think he could come back a better horse later in the year.”

Purdon will be back to drive Akuta on May 19, being suspended until then for his whip action in the Taylor Mile.

Different backgrounds

For the first time in their lives three-year-old fillies Cheval D’Or and She’s A Con are the same price.

While Saturday’s two impressive winners are both now rated $15 chances in the Queensland Oaks, there was once a far greater difference between their value.

Cheval D’Or, who won the Championship Stakes at Pukekohe, was a $420,000 yearling purchase at Karaka, while owner Allan Tyler bought She’s A Con, who won Saturday’s $65,000 Stakes at Riccarton, for just $800 off NZB’s online site Gavelhouse.

“She was in the Raffles Farm dispersal and when I saw her going so cheaply I rang Bruce Sherwin and asked him if she had only three legs,” Tyler told NZ Racing Desk. “Bruce assured me there was absolutely nothing wrong with her, she was the genuine article, but his instructions were to sell.”

She’s A Con beat northern filly Luella Cristina but the latter was lucky to stay on her feet when she clipped heels at the 600m, and her recovery to almost come back to win suggests she could be a strong mare next season.