Blair Orange. Photo / Greg Bowker
Dominating the juvenile pacing ranks is nothing new for Mark Purdon but the number of weapons he has in his arsenal this season is staggering even for him.
The master trainer was at it again at Addington on Saturday, preparing Western Cullen, driven by Blair Orange, to win our richest
2-year-old race, the $250,000 Sales Series Pace.
The son of Christian Cullen and former top filly Western Dream overcame a second-line draw and stormed home to win in a performance that would make him the star of any normal stable. But he is just a face in the crowd among Purdon's freakish freshman crop.
In three months, Purdon has won the $125,000 Young Guns Final with Fly Like An Eagle, the $113,000 Caduceus Club Classic with Veste, the $200,000 Sales Series Fillies Pace with Dancing Diamonds, the $156,000 Sires Stakes Fillies with O Baby and the A$305,000 Australian Pacing Gold with Mr Nickel as well as Saturday's big payday.
With Alberto Contador having been beaten only a half head in the $80,000 Welcome Stakes, Purdon has monopolised the juvenile ranks like no trainer ever before.
That is more than $1.2 million worth of juvenile races in three months and he still has this Friday's Sires' Stakes Final, the Harness Jewels, Vicbred Series and Australasian Breeders Crown to go.
"It has been a great season and I am lucky to have great owners who let me buy horses like most of these for them," said Purdon. Western Cullen will head to the Breeders Crown later in the year, joining Veste, Fly Like An Eagle and Mr Nickel.
But eventually he will end up in Perth, where he is now owned.
While Purdon's juvenile team is impressive, the overall 2-year-old crop isn't, with this season seeming to lack a genuine superstar. Apart from one trainer.
