Racing: Purdon spoilt for choice

However Smolda stuck his hand up with a scorching last 800m at the Ashburton trials.

Champion horseman Mark Purdon says a decision on who partners his two superstars Smolda and Adore Me in the New Zealand Cup won't be made for at least a month.

However, Smolda did his chances of snaring the boss's services no harm at the Ashburton trials yesterday.

The bold pacer was too slippery for Terror To Love in their 2400m mobile trial which also featured Smolda's injury-plagued stablemate Hands Christian and United States star import Johny Rock.

After some early dithering, Smolda unleashed a 54.4 last 800m, his final 400m in 26.3 seconds to hold Terror To Love out by a neck.

Purdon did the steering behind Smolda and was impressed by the gelding's first public outing since finishing fourth in the Inter Dominion Final in March.

He ruptured a blood vessel in a leg soon after, adding to his problems since a dominant back end to his 3-year-old season in which he won the NSW Derby and Harness Jewels.

Smolda has always looked the real deal and with no physical problems beginning this campaign Purdon is adamant he can win one of the big cups.

"He is good enough, there is no doubt of that and we are really hopeful of getting a full season of racing into him," he says.

"And if that happens I'd be surprised if he didn't win a big one."

Which raises a question Purdon is not willing to answer yet: Who will he drive in the New Zealand Cup, Smolda or Adore Me?

"I don't think we need to really answer that for a month at least," said Purdon.

"At this stage, this horse will resume at Addington on September 26, while Adore Me is still coming back so might not race until the middle of October. And we will try to avoid them clashing for a while, maybe until Ashburton on Flying Stakes Day [October 27].

"But they would both be good drives."

While Adore Me won the Easter Cup last season and is a personal favourite of Purdon's, Smolda may have more top-end open-class potential and Purdon has driven him in every start he has had in New Zealand.

His choice would be the envy of most other horsepeople and he does have a pretty handy back-up in partner Natalie Rasmussen, the four-time Inter Dominion winning driver who will almost certainly drive whichever horse Purdon doesn't.

While beaten into second yesterday Terror To Love pleased driver Ricky May with the ground he made up from six lengths off the leader at the 800m mark and is set to clash with Smolda in that race at Addington on September 26.

Early season dominator Christen Me won't be there, with Cran Dalgety easing up on the Hunter Cup winner after his win at Addington last Friday. He will next race at Addington on October 10.

The absence of the big boys has seen Tiger Tara open the $2.40 favourite for Sunday's Hannon Memorial at Oamaru. He chased Christen Me hard when second last Friday night in his first open-class start and meets defending Hannon champ Franco Ledger on Sunday.

While Smolda might have been impressive, NSW speedster Suave Stuey Lombo took trialling to a whole new level at Menangle yesterday.

He paced a breathtaking 1:49.2 mile in an open trial, beating Inter Dominion and Miracle Mile winner Beautide by 5m in one of the fastest miles ever paced in the Southern Hemisphere.