Champion Kiwi trainer Mark Purdon couldn’t be happier with his three drives heading into Breeders Crown night at Melton but he is far more cautious about the return of a stable star at Addington tonight.
Purdon is beaming over how Our Princess Tiffany and Im Another Masterpiece have handled their build up to Saturday’s $290,000 juvenile pacing finals while his catch drive for the series, Our Show Gait, hasn’t stopped improving.
But before the big night Purdon has a forgotten millionairess returning at Addington on Thursday night and he is as blunt as possible in assessing Dream About Me’s chances.
“She will desperately need the run,” says Purdon matter-of-factly.
So while Dream About Me is by far the best performed horse in the National Handicap, Purdon doubts the former Auckland Cup winner will beat stablemate Thefixer, let alone win the race.
Dream About Me hasn’t raced since a luckless New Zealand Cup week last November, with hoof issues curtailing a season that earlier saw her push Lazarus to a half neck in the Flying Stakes at Ashburton.
The now six-year-old has had four trials to prepare her for tonight’s comeback but most have been quiet affairs and Purdon is adamant she will need the run.
“We have brought quite a few of ours up a little later this season and she is a big mare anyway so I’d be happy to see her running on,” he says.
“I would be pretty confident Thefixer would be too forward for her.”
Punters might still be tempted by each way odds for Dream About Me as she comes in well at the handicaps and Purdon’s often cautious approach to his fresh runners have proven wrong before.
But the reality is he will be happy to see driver Tim Williams relax Dream About Me and let her run on so, for all her class, even her biggest fans might be better off watching rather than punting tonight.
Thefixer is also fresh up from two wins at Cup week last November but is a more streamlined pacer and therefore forward enough to win, but he is by no means a good thing as the Robert Dunn stable has two reps who have looked more advanced than the Purdon-Rasmussen pair at recent public outings.
Letspendanitetogetha beat Alta Orlando, who has been scratched from tonight’s race, and another stablemate, Captain Dolmio, at the most recent Rangiora workout that all of tonight’s big players lined up in.
A lot will depend on the tempo of the race and who gets the best run in what could be a game of cat and mouse but victory for Letspendanitetogetha or Captain Dolmio wouldn’t surprise.
Purdon will watch the race from Victoria where he is putting the final touches on his powerful pair for Saturday night’s Breeders Crown finals at Melton.
He is thrilled with unbeaten filly Princess Tiffany before her $290,000 juvenile pace final while Another Masterpiece is also spot on heading into the boy’s equivalent but faces a second line draw.
“Princess Tiffany has handled the season incredibly well and she is as good, if not better, than she has been all year. I can’t fault her,” says Purdon.
“She has got gate speed so we will be going forward early. Another Masterpiece is also good but might have to sit parked, which is a hard way to win and it is a good field. But he is still a good show.”
Purdon will also drive three-year-old trotting filly Our Show Gait for young Canterbury trainer Regan Todd and says she worked the best she has this campaign yesterday morning and is the horse to beat in her $70,000 final.
“I frst drove her a month ago at the trials and every time I have driven her since she has gotten better,” said Purdon. “She is in a really good space and showed good gate speed at the Shepparton trials last week and the way she worked this week she has improved again.”
