Racing: Purdon pair lodge claims

Now we have a New Zealand Cup to savour at Addington in two weeks.

A Mark Purdon-Natalie Rasmussen domination of yesterday's Flying Stakes at Ashburton- led by the great mare Adore Me - has smashed the theory the $700,000 New Zealand Cup on November 11 is a two-horse race.

This year's Cup was always going to be about whether Terror To Love could become the first horse to ever win it four times and that will still be the kickoff point for most Cup conversations in the next fortnight.

But before yesterday only arch rival Christen Me had done enough to suggest he could beat or even test Terror To Love at Addington.

Now two, and possibly three, new threats have emerged.

Adore Me won the Flying Stakes at the start, with a brilliant beginning to rush to the early lead before handing that role to stablemate Hands Christian.

That saw them control the race as Christen Me and Terror To Love sat near last and when the leaders paced their last 800m in 55 seconds, the final 400m in 26 the favourites had no chance.

Adore Me worked off Hands Christian's back at the top of the straight and broke 26 seconds in over-powering him, with the runner-up brave in only his second start back from a long layoff.

Christen Me recorded some outstanding sectionals running into third, while Terror To Love was left flat footed at the 300m but was finding the line well in the last 100m to get a pass mark.

However, it was the first time in seven New Zealand meetings that both Terror To Love and Christen Me had been beaten in the same race, erasing the aura of invincibility.

Now, when punters assess our greatest harness race they will have to consider whether Christen Me and Terror To Love can give away similar starts to even fitter versions of Adore Me and, particularly, Hands Christian.

The depth in the Cup was boosted further by other results over the weekend.

Tiger Tara was stubborn winning a strong support race yesterday, while For A Reason all but sealed his trip to the Cup winning the Queensland Pacing Championship on Saturday night.

While many won't rate that form, he won last season's Victoria Cup beating Caribbean Blaster, Christen Me and Beautide, and has beaten Terror To Love both times they have met so emerges as a Cup force, with a final decision on his trip to made this Saturday.

The TAB were sticking to their guns after the Flying Stakes, with Terror To Love still the $2.40 favourite over Christen Me at $3.8 and Adore Me in from $11 to $8.

The biggest drifter has been Smolda, who is out to $21 after racing below his best lately and even if he does make the Cup by racing well at Kaikoura next Monday he will be looking for a new driver, with Purdon certain to stay with Adore Me and partner Natalie Rasmussen with Hands Christian.

Others to lose some of their Cup lustre yesterday were Franco Nelson, who was outsprinted by those in front of and behind him and last season's Cup runner-up Fly Like An Eagle, who was distanced in a support race.

The most impressive big name at Ashburton yesterday was Stent, who bolted away with the open-class trot.

He showed the benefits of a speed racing diet in Australia last season by leading early, being able to rough and tumble and still kick clear in a 1:56 mile which saw him shorten into $3.80 favouritism for the Dominion Handicap in 17 days.