Think what you were doing 34 years ago. That is how long Purdon has been winning Inter Dominions.
Purdon trained the trotting series winner three years in a row between 1996 and 1998 with Pride Of Petite twice and Buster Hanover once, Pride Of Petite’s second win in Adelaide one of the most freakish performances in the history of the Inter Dominions.
I Can Doosit went back-to-back in the Trotters Final for Purdon in 2011-12, while he trained Smolda to come from last to win at Gloucester Park (another miracle) in 2016 before Lazarus beat the Aussies up in the final at the same venue the next year.
In 2019, Purdon doubled down, winning both the Pacing and Trotting Finals with Ultimate Sniper and Winterfell. So if anybody can cajole a tricky trotter into winning tonight, it is Purdon.
But even he admits Oscar Bonavena has him flummoxed, as Oscar, like many humans, gets more eccentric with age.
“Before last week’s heat, he was trotting beautifully at home and I thought he’d win,” says Purdon.
“So to see him trot that badly early stunned me.
“Maybe it is just him being cunning as he has got older and he does serve [impregnate] mares as well as racing and maybe that hasn’t helped his concentration.
“I have no doubts he could win on his best behaviour, but he has let me down too many times this last year to totally trust him.”
Oscar Bonavena may be suited by drawing the unruly (second line) tonight in the hope his rivals go hard, struggle with the long distance, and he can swoop late.
That is probably how he is most potent, but also a very rare path to winning a major harness race these days.
Bet N Win is therefore the more logical of the two Kiwi hopes, unbeaten in the heats with perfect manners and driver Bob Butt in form.
While New Zealand had no reps in the A$1million Pacing Final (11.10pm NZ time), punters who make it that far into the night will at least get to see a true champion in Leap To Fame, who looks unbeatable on his home track, with Captains Knock the best place bet at $3.
New Zealand is also represented by Captains Mistress in the Queensland Oaks and Rubira for the Purdons in the Queensland Derby.
ROTORUA INTRIGUE
One of the most interesting horses at Arawa Park today has only won one race.
But He’s Lucid, who resumes in Race 5 today, brings plenty of black type form to his fresh up Rating 75.
The Kevin Myers-trained three-year-old finished sixth in both the 2000 Guineas (won by Savaglee) and the Karaka Million Three-Year-Old won by Damask Rose this season.
His only career win was in the Group 3 War Decree Stakes, beating black type winners Raziah and Kiwi Skyhawk on a heavy track at Riccarton last October.
So clearly he is good enough to win today and the heavy track shouldn’t be an issue. But the question is fitness in his first start since February 28.
He answered that, at least partially, when he looked forward and not carrying too much belly when finishing second in a strong trial at Foxton a month ago.
It would be a very Kevin Myers thing to do to see him come out and win today at a TAB boosted price of $4.60.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
