The win by Don’t Stop Dreaming in the Franklin Cup on Sunday ended the Purdon Racing season on a high note.
But there were many highlights through the year. So how did the staff involved with the stars of the stable rate them ?
MARK:The Dominion with Oscar stands out for me. Because it’s such a hard race to win and we hadn’t won it for quite a few years but mostly for Oscar’s sake. He might have been one of the greats if he had been 100 per cent in his prime when he could certainly outsprint most of our pacers. But that was not to be so rewarding that he can show that ability now even as an older horse. It was quite emotional day for all of us who have been with him on his journey and very special for me.
NATHAN. Well if not the Dominion which was very special,probably watching We Walk By Faith win the Group One on Grand Prix day. I had picked him out myself at the Sydney sale but the client backed out. Dennis Dunford has supported me since I was a junior and he took a punt on my judgement and bought the horse. That was not only truly rewarding but I was glad I could repay a few of the many favours the Dunfords have done for me
MIKAYLA:Probably Oscar winning the Dominion but another highlight for me was Sinbad (now exported) running second in the Sires Stakes Final to Don’t Stop Dreaming He was my favourite and running that close to a horse like that was just as good as a winner to me.
MICHAEL . Probably the Kaikoura weekend. Alison’s filly Tornado Banner winning on the Sunday and Mystic Max in the Southern Bay Trotting Cup on the Monday and Dad and Nathan adding the Kaikoura Cup with Akuta. Was just a special couple of days.Alison had been doing trial and error with her filly going up in grade and Max going to another level after his form tapered off. Good too that Blair stuck with him. It was great to see everyone’s hard work pay off.
ALISON : Chase a Dream winning the Sires Stakes Final. He was a horse I really liked from the start and so I got to do a lot of the work with him.He was the quiet achiever of the group for quite a while and then turned out the best 2yo so I was very proud when he won the big Group One on Cup Day from the worst barrier.Next best was getting three wins with my own horse Tornado Banner.They were my first as a trainer.
JIMMY: My favourite Self Assured winning the NZ Free for All on Show Day (why are we not surprised !). Everybody had been writing him off and hto see him im storming home as the underdog in a race like that against Akuta was a feeling you don’t forget.
BROOKE; Akuta winning the Kaikoura Cup. Because he had to do it tough and the atmosphere at Kaikoura was something I had never experienced (in Australia). It was electric.
OLIVIA: I can’t split 2 horses both on Cup Day. Millwood Nike (Olivia’s charge in the stable) was a big highlight because she was never closer than 3 wide and set a record. Every win of hers meant a lot and I am lucky to look after one like that.She is just such a special horse to me
The other was Chase a Dream giving me my first win on Cup Day in a race he had no right to win from where he was in the running.He left everything on the track to get to the front in time.
DEVON. Winning the Group 2 Superstars with Anything Goes (Westie) was my highlight.He was a horse I had driven right through his early career and it led to his sale and he then came here.I have so much love for Westie and now I get to work with him every day. I’m very lucky.
