Nathan Purdon is gearing up for a busy spring on both sides of the Tasman and that begins at Addington on Friday when Purdon Racing looks like making a big impression.
Most will be at close odds. But Nathan has a longer term spring carrot to tempt longer odds punters among Friday’s team.
Early on in the night where Chase a Dream and Major Hot renew their battle from Oamaru where Major Hot came up on top but with a few more favours than his stablemate.
“There is not much between them, probably who gets to the front or the handier of them. Chase a Dream has had less experience and if he got to the front he could be hard for the other guy to get past”
Mark, who drove Chase a Dream also at Oamaru is of the same opinion but with a leaning to his charge on the improvement he would take from the run.
The next stable clash features Franco Indie ($4) and Anything Goes ($2.40) and while Mark thinks the former could come out on top which he drove fresh up -and Anything Goes at Oamaraul- Nathan is fairly strong on likely favourite Anything Goes.
“He worked enormous this morning” (Wednesday) and his seasoning gives him an advantage. If the other horse had had another race it might be closer but he is still on the way up.”
Nathan notes that Anything Goes’s weakness so far, standing starts, is continuing to improve and shouldn’t affect his 10m handicap.
“He has had a fair bit of practice at the barrier we have set up here and I don’t think its a worry.
There will be cramped odds around the next one up for the stable Don’t Stop Dreaming ($1.50) (pictured) who resumes with a busy time in the next few months.
“He’s on target. He is not ready for a gut buster but he is better than his rivals so we hope to get a reasonably quiet run and a good hit home. On form you would be confident he can win even fresh up”
Akuta ($4.20) and Self Assured ($4.50) then take centre stage with Nathan leaning toward Akuta,who is fitted with blinkers, the more likely of the two this week.
“We put the blinkers off and on because he can be a bit casual but nothing special in it. They’ve only had one trial but they are forward enough to be in the finish without being near peak yet”
Another stable duo Carrera Rapido and With Style clash late in the night and again Nathan thinks With Style might have an edge.
“There’s not a heap between them either but With Style is a little more versatile. He can sprint up during a race and kick on where the other guy prefers a settled run for his best. So I would have to lean to With Style there”
And the longer term prospect ? That would be Look To Da Stars in the juvenile trot.
“Not saying it will be this week but he will come up with an upset at odds when the penny drops.
He is steady in his gait already but he has problems with the racing,just with other horses around him and things not going right,he tends to panic.When he gets sorted he will prove himself I’m sure”
Nathan took heart from the trial results yesterday and especially with Vessem who was second to Millwood Nike on a wet track.
“He was terrific I thought. He ran the gate, went to the front into the wind, did all the work and just got run down late by her and she’s pretty good.He looks in for good spring on that”
High Step and High Energy were in heats for the Need for Speed trotting series in Victoria.High Step had a comfortable win at Geelong in her heat and HIgh Energy was to run at Melton Thursday the second favourite but at $1.60 on Wednesday
NB. Fixed odds as at Wednesday 6 pm