Nathan Purdon dreams of honouring "very special" Roy tonight

_{The late Roy Purdon (right) with son Mark (from left) and grandsons Michael and Nathan. Picture: Ashlea Brennan.}

SOME of racing’s most magical moments are born out of tears.

Tonight’s $100,000 Alabar Ladyship Cup now looms as one of those occasions as young training star Nathan Purdon gets the chance to pay a Group 1 tribute to the patriarch of harness racing’s most famous family.

Nathan’s grandfather, industry legend Roy Purdon, died peacefully in an Auckland hospital on Thursday after 94 years lived his way.

Roy was the father of champion Kiwi trainers Barry and Mark, with Nathan the son of the latter. He has inherited the family training ability.

Nathan has huge winning chances in Amazing Dream (Hunter Cup) and Amore Vita in the Gold Chalice tonight, but it is Spellbound in the Ladyship Cup who he rates his best chance of honouring grandad.

“I won’t be able to get home to New Zealand for the funeral because of the Covid travel restrictions,” Nathan said.

“He was a very special man to the whole industry but obviously to our family.

“I don’t know if I can win a race in his name on Saturday night but we will be trying. It will be a huge weekend for our family and I’d love to do something special for him.”

Spellbound is fit and perfectly drawn, so she may not need the help of a legend looking down from on high but it can’t do her any harm.

“She is very fast and ready to show that, but she has also strengthened up and is ready for a hard, strong mile if they try and attack her,” he said.

“I really like her this week. And now I want her to win more than ever.”

Drivers in the Ladyship Cup will wear black armbands in honour of Roy Purdon.

And if Spellbound and/or Amazing Dream can triumph, the success would be felt throughout the industry because the Purdon family has shared Roy with so many others over the decades.

Amazing Dream looks likely to trail leader and favourite King Of Swing in the Hunter Cup, the same trip she got when winning both the Rising Sun and Blacks A Fake last season.

Whether the Melton passing lane gives her enough time to squirt to victory may depend on mid-race pressure in a race that doesn’t look to have too much of it. But, the punt aside, there will be plenty hoping she can add to racing’s fairytales tonight.

Tune into Racing.com’s Channel 78 (Ch 68 regionally) on Saturday night for a special television event as the Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup broadcast is beamed into households throughout Australia. The free-to-air broadcast will be hosted by Michael Felgate, who is joined by an all-star cast including seven-time A.G. Hunter Cup winning driver Anthony Butt, Dan Mielicki, Jason Bonnington, Rob Auber and Nikkita Ross. All the action from 6pm.

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