Racing: Restrictions give Purdon the drive on Bettor Twist

Harness racing Bettor Twist (outer) winning at Alexandra Park 11 December 2020. Photo / Trish Dunell.

Travel restrictions have handed the drive on the hot favourite for Friday's $125,000 Pascoes Northern Oaks to her former trainer.

Mark Purdon will partner Bettor Twist in the group one, one of the highlights of Alexandra Park's massive premier meeting that is being affected by Auckland's Level 3 lockdown.

The meeting, which contains seven group or listed races, will be run as a workplace without the public or even owners allowed.

It also means several horse people who intended being there will not be allowed to travel because they haven't been granted exemptions but some others either had historic exemptions which were still valid or have been allowed to travel because they will be more involved in looking after certain horses and therefore their welfare.

Four Waikato-based drivers have exemptions and are listed to drive while Canterbury horseman Purdon also has an exemption and will be at Alexandra Park.

That means Purdon, who is taking a sabbatical from fulltime training but still drives, has picked up the Bettor Twist drive, with her regular driver Tim Williams not coming north.

The filly will be a dominant favourite for the Oaks after a stunning win in the Peter Breckon Memorial last start Friday when she was forced to sit parked, with most punters expecting her to lead from barrier two on Friday.

Other Canterbury drivers who would have been at the meeting, like John Dunn and Mark Jones, have yet to find out whether they will be able to travel to Auckland.

Bettor Twist could be as short as $1.40 to win the Oaks from her draw, just 26 hours before her older half-brother King Of Swing is those same odds to defend his Miracle Mile crown at Menangle.

As short as that pair are for group one glory many punters will feel the same about Krug in the $200,000 Woodlands Northern Derby after her drew barrier five with the other favourites American Dealer (7), It's All About Faith (8) and B D Joe (9) drawn worse. Purdon will also drive It's All About Faith, taking over from Williams.

The open class pace will see Copy That red hot after barrier five and looking certain to lead the $47,000 City Of Auckland Free-For-All while Bolt For Brilliance will also be hot in the $28,500 Greenlane Cup even off his 20m handicap.

Heat winner Classy Operator has crucially drawn inside the latest heat winner Montana D J in the $95,000 Breckon Farms Young Guns Final while early favourite Artisan faces a tricky draw from three on the second line in the Delightful Lady Fillies Final.