Mark and Nathan Purdon have returned to the top of the stakes table at a midpoint of the feature racing season, re-establishing a record which has not and may never be equalled. Its earnings are currently $1.35m from 118 starters.
As of June 5 Mark,with partners Natalie,Grant Payne,Hayden Cullen and now Nathan. has topped $60m in stake earnings, in New Zealand alone,this century.
Mark has in fact topped the stakes winning table in every full season he has trained this century the most recent exception being the Covid stable closure in 2021.There have been 20 outright titles in all, and at one stage 14 in succession.
It is similar in the number of wins category which defines the trainer’s premiership. Mark and partners have won 15 of those,12 of them in succession from 2008,and been three times second.It is the only stable to post over 2000 winners since 2000
In just one of those years has the stable had the most starters, and not more than 400 in a season since 2015.The record in that category since then is 1000.
In only three seasons has it had more than 500 starters and as a result its UDR has reached some remarkable heights,close to 0.50 a few years ago. Often it has had less than half the number of starters of its closest rivals.
In 2002 it won the premiership with 218 starters. Nine other stables recorded more.
It was the first standardbred stable to top $2m in season earnings (2008), then $3m (2009), and $4m (four times, the first in 2015). It earned over $5m in some seasons when Australian earnings were included.
It would be hard to find a single training establishment in the world,even among legends like Aidan O’Brien,Godolphin,Chris Waller etc, who could better the All Stars statistical achievement (Tommy Smith won 33 successive training premierships in Sydney last century by winners) and now Purdon Racing, with a host of topliners to contend for top stakes in the spring and summer, looks like carrying on that tradition.
It is a formidable record to maintain but Nathan and partner Mikayla have certainly made the right start in that quest.
THE 21ST CENTURY SO FAR
STAKES WON: $60.177M
RACES WON: 2142
PREMIERSHIPS WON: 15
STAKES PREMIERSHIPS WON: 20
MOST STARTERS IN A SEASON: 589 (2011:103 WINNERS)
LEAST STARTERS IN A SEASON: 157 (Part Season)
MOST WINNERS IN A SEASON: 157 (2014)
MOST STAKES WON IN A SEASON: $4.516M (2019)
MOST G1 WINS (nz) SEASON; 23 (2019)
MOST 2YO WINNERS (INDIVIDUAL) IN A SEASON: 20 (2014)
SEASONS WITH STAKES OVER $1M: 19
LAST SEASON LAST LESS THAN $1M IN STAKES WON: 2006