The night before New Zealand Cup day is not the easiest the trainers of the star,no matter how good or laid back they are. Horses done enuff? done too much? not picked up a bug in last 48 hours ? going to get a good run from the gates? go away from the stand? stable organisation going to flow on the day ? . Where the pressure comes down to one day of the year and you have to have everything right is what separates the men from the boys. Only fools or fibbers say it is no different from any other raceday,the latter perhaps to train the brain not to get too stressed about it all.
Nathan Purdon. Not much sleep leading to big day
Its the big dance.
“No not much sleep” Nathan frankly admits “You are thinking about covering all the bases and thinking makes sleep a lot harder”
For the Rolleston stable it has usually been all right on the day and the work and preparation has all been done.
All up to the horses and drivers now.
Nathan’s view of how the day may unfold.
2.07 Treacherous Baby (12) Blair $4.60
Caroline and Braeden Whitelock.Treacherous Baby
“I think its a race in two really with Zachary’s drive and it is going to be hard to beat her (Duchess Megzit). She has the front line and the speed to go out in front.That means we have to circle and sit parked to put any pressure on. Our filly has terrific speed.She could break 26 and as you know that’s great going for a 3 year old filly.But whether she can work midrace from the second row,sit parked and run the other filly down is the challenge. I think if she has to do that work she may not be able to. Our other filly (Arden’s Memory) is a wee bit behind those two.
3.14 Oscar Bonavena (14) Mark $10
He’s primed for a big race. Everything working toward one from the way he is going.Not easy big field tricky gate but while he’s been just ok from the stand lately he will be all right on the day. Always a hard race to win. I think Michael’s horse Mystic Max is under the radar. He has blossomed lately, he has some stout European staying blood in the pedigree and he is good from the stand and should get a nice race. He is up to most of these now and to work 3.16 for 2400m as well as he did on Sunday and go so strongly late is great going on our track for a trotter.
Blair, Michael and Mystic Max -cracking the big time
4.33 Demon Blue Mark $16 /Rubira Blair $15
I am slightly with Rubira,oddly because of the draw. He might just get the softer ruun.Demon Blue has done well but he will have to work out of the gate as I see it unfolding and that might just make the difference. We are up against some smart ones and it won’t be easy but they are both ready to go and with luck will be in the finish.
PS Blair will be hoping so. He has had at least six second placings in the SS 2yo Final (Ohoka Arizona,Highview Tommy,Le Sol,Western Cullen Flying Even Bettor and Krug) and is overdue to land one.
5.46 Don’t Stop Dreaming Blair $4.60
He hasn’t had the racing of some but that is not a worry for me. Most stayers, and especially stallions need the racing to reach high level of fitness but this horse is different. He improves a lot off his first race and as much off the second and hits his peak more quickly than most top horses.So we are confident he is as good as we can get him especially after the setbacks he has had. Its a little unusual in a colt but he is more clean winded than most. Swayzee (last year’s winner and a surprise favourite at $2.70) had a race over nearly 3000 on Friday had a long to and from it and then on the plane Sunday so you have to wonder if it takes toll. Merline has doen everything right and he will be hard over the staying trip but our guy might surprise a few.His run at Ashburton didn’t miss Merlin’s by much.”
Joanne and Danny Zavitsanos Cruz Bromac-Demon Blue
It would be fair to say that Nathan’s biggest Cup Day so far was Adore Me’s win in 2014 a mare he was closely associated with. But he won’t say no to a bigger one if “Darci” the cause of many headaches through the spring,springs a surprise on is rivals instead.
It can happen
