Racing: Persistent pain finally beaten

Leading horseman Mark Purdon is recovering from a hip replacement operation - and wonders why he did not have it performed years ago.

The Christchurch-based trainer-driver has had a useful enough season by his own high standards - 50 wins and $794,111 won in stake money as a trainer and 38 wins as a driver.

But over the past 12 months Purdon has been troubled by persistent pain in his left hip, courtesy of a small number of race falls on the racetrack.

"It's hard to pinpoint when I really injured the hip but I've had pain over the past five years and it's got out of hand over the past 12 months," said Purdon.

"I do recall I had one really bad race fall years ago on Mark Hanover and I really messed myself up and I did hurt my left hip. Perhaps things have slowly got worse with my body and I haven't realised.

"In this industry [harness racing] when you're jumping in and out of race and jog carts you are using the hip area and I couldn't put up with it any longer.

"I thought that having the hip operation over the winter would be the ideal time to do it as we do down scale the size of the racing team we have in training.

"Looking back on how I feel right now I just wish I had had the operation a few years ago as I feel a lot more comfortable, even though I'm confined to walking around on crutches.

"The doctor has told me that I'll be out of full contact work with the horses for three months but I'm determined to be back earlier than that.

"I'm down at the stables every morning to keep an eye on things and make sure that the horses are progressing along nicely in their training programmes.

"I'm also enjoying the easier lifestyle as I'm home for lunch and that's the extent of my involvement with the horses.

"It's certainly easier than the 6 am starts each morning and working all day - particularly during the winter time down here in Christchurch."

This season Purdon has lost the services of free-for-all pacers Jack Cade and Young Rufus.

Jack Cade was retired from racing after breaking down again in training while Young Rufus has been retired to stud.

Young Rufus was the prince of pacing in Australasia two years ago and nearly died from a twisted bowel on the night before the opening round of the Addington Inter Dominions.

Purdon magically nursed Young Rufus back to full fitness and never gave up on him. After lacklustre performances the entire was retired from racing.

But his services were not in demand and Purdon decided to stage another comeback and Young Rufus made a pleasing return to the free-for-all circuit this season.

"To this day I am staggered at how Young Rufus made it through the veterinary operations to save his life when he had a twisted bowel.

"I thought we nearly lost him on a couple of occasions at the veterinary clinic but he just refused to accept death.

WHEN YOUNG RUFUS came back into training last season, Purdon didn't hold out much hope for him getting back to the racing form he had shown previously.

"We retired him after a series of disappointing efforts.

"When the stake money was announced for the Auckland Inter Dominion Series [$750,000 Pacing Grand Final] I decided to bring him back into training for one last shot.

"He started to show that aggression in training and on race night that he used to show in the past. And he raced very well this season, winning a Group One race in Adelaide and a qualifying heat of the Auckland Inter Dominion Series."

Now Purdon will be switching his attention to the next group of potential free-for-all pacers he has in training - the hugely talented Likmesiah, Born Again Christian and Lennon - and having another shot at the New Zealand Cup.

"Likmesiah is still spelling up in Auckland after racing in the feature 4-year races but he's due back here in Christchurch in a couple of weeks time.

"If everything falls into place I would like to think that a race like the New Zealand Cup is well within his grasp.

"Born Again Christian is back in training after he had a minor wind operation and I'm impressed by how everything is going with him.

"Lennon is thriving and also training very well.

"He's a very athletic horse that doesn't take a lot of hard work to reach peak fitness."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY