Racing: Napoleon to launch attack

Barry Purdon is hoping the curse of the Summer Cup continues tonight because this time he could be the one to profit.

Purdon trains Napoleon, a last start winner, who has drawn the ace in tonight's $25,000 feature at Alexandra Park, the final lead-up race to next Saturday's $200,000 Auckland Cup.

The field contains come of the biggest names in New Zealand pacing - Just An Excuse, Howard Bromac, Bobs Blue Boy - but all face handicaps, which has been the kiss of death in the Summer Cup for the past decade.

"I have been in a lot of Summer Cups and it is always a tough race for the backmarkers to win," said Purdon.

"It is never easy to win an open class race at Alexandra Park from a handicap but it is even tougher a week out from the Auckland Cup because nobody wants to give their horse a really hard gutbuster.

"I have plenty of respect for those backmarkers but we get a chance to beat them this week."

While Napoleon is not one of pacing's glamour boys, that is an advantage as the big guns often don't fire in this race - even Elsu was beaten in it last season when starting off a handicap. It was to be his last defeat.

Napoleon returned to racing with a 1:56.5 mile rate win over 1700m at Cambridge last week, which Purdon says proves the six-year-old is back to his best.

"The start before in the Franklin Cup he was tired after his southern trip so I freshened him up and I was happy with the way he found the line last week.

"It won't be easy to win this week but if we could get a sit just in behind the leaders he will get his chance."

The connections of fellow front line horses Tribute, Badlands Bute and Lord Vader will be hoping for the same luxury and if they all settle handy then the big names off the handicaps face a massive task.

Just An Excuse is still the best horse in the race but off his 20m handicap in a 13-horse field he is likely to be running on, but he will need to produce something like his best to win. The same applies to the southern invaders Howard Bromac, Bobs Blue Boy and White Arrow.

All have looked potential cup winners this season but they haven't raced for five weeks so it is hard to see how they could be at their peak.

Howard Bromac loves Alexandra Park, having been placed behind Elsu in the last Auckland Cups, but takes racing to come to his peak. With his conservative trainer Kirk Larsen doing the driving it would not surprise to see him driven for luck tonight.

Bobs Blue Boy and White Arrow are better placed being off just 10m handicaps but Bobs Blue Boy has tended to need hard racing in the past to come to his best.

White Arrow may be a better hope if he steps well because he has raced well here before and is a freerunner who could end up handier than the other southerners.

Of the front line horses Tribute and Lord Vader look the biggest dangers to Napoleon.

Tribute was awesome winning the Franklin Cup after sitting three wide and was a luckless fourth when storming home last start. Good from a standing start he should be handy. throughout.

Lord Vader has emerged as one of the most under-rated pacers in the north, storming home for third in the Manukau Cup last start. Tonight's race looks ideal for him if driver David Butcher can get him away from the standing start.

The meeting's other feature, the $50,000 Queen Of Hearts, should fall to Alta Serena after her luckless run in last Saturday's Victoria Cup.

She came from last at the top of the straight in that race to storm into fifth and has the ace draw tonight. If she can hold the lead, or at worst trail, she looks the Pick6 anchor.

* Purdon's warns punters to expect a form reversal from Powerball tonight.

The pacer has been one of the most exciting to burst onto the scene this season but cost punters plenty when a lacklustre eighth at Alexandra Park last Friday.

"I think he will bounce back this week," said Purdon.

"He was tired when he came back from the Cup carnival and I gave him an easy time, which meant he was just below his best last week.

"But he worked good on Wednesday and I think he will be back to something like his best for this race."

SUMMER CUP

* Many of New Zealand's best pacers contest tonight's race, the final lead-up to the Auckland Cup.

* Backmarkers have a poor record in the Summer Cup.

* Napoleon, Tribute and Lord Vader look well placed off the front line.

* Alta Serena in the Queen of Hearts looks the Pick6 anchor.