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2008 FIRST SOVEREIGN TRUST 3YO FLYING STAKES

Ian Dobson and the Met people may as well drop the NZ Derby trophy off to Mark Purdon now. It's near enough to as good as won by Auckland Reactor, and the believers are now well and truly in the majority.

But first, there are formalities to attend to, and that means Auckland Reactor must perform as he did in winning the First Sovereign Trust Flying Stakes at Addington in devastating style last Friday night. His cruel disposal of seven other good 3-year-olds made it crystal-clear that none of then are in his class, or even close to it. He beat Justa Tiger by seven lengths and his stablemate Fiery Falcon by a fraction more. It was a beating of big proportions, and the $200,000 Christian Cullen-sponsored Classic has the look of an open and shut case.

Phillip Kennard, one of the co-owners of Fiery Falcon, put on a brave front by saying how he was looking forward to a better draw and trying to stick within four or five lengths of Auckland Reactor and see what difference that would make. He took comfort in seeing Fiery Falcon finish within eight lengths of Auckland Reactor after perhaps, at best, being 10 lengths from him at one stage. Hope for better might be one thing, but getting it quite another.

While Auckland Reactor looked as fresh at the end as he did at the start, he didn't win the contest without some push and shove. Purdon ran him hard out of the gate, and then Gavin Smith pressed up with Cullen's Legacy to see if the lead was available. He was hard to settle from there and, committed to attack, ran keenly alongside Auckland Reactor for 800 metres, until dropping off and finishing 15 lengths behind. "I had an idea where he might finish up," said Purdon. "After going hard early, and then attacked, I was a bit surprised my horse had as much left as he did," he said.

This was Auckland Reactor's ninth successive win, which puts him in easy reach of equalling and bettering the record of Purdon's previous 3-year-old star Il Vicolo, who won 11 in succession at that age. Auckland Reactor can make it 13, if he wins the Derby, Southern Supremacy Final, the Harness Jewels and a lead-up race to that. Purdon says he's "potentially the best" horse he's had. "When he came down from the north he was just a horse, and well behind the other yearlings at the same stage. I gave him six weeks work, but he was nothing remarkable at the time. There was no pressure on him because he wasn't paid up for anything. I liked him, without there being anything special about him."

When he was back in again at two, Purdon said there was still nothing to mark him out. "We had Fiery Falcon, Ohoka Arizona and Steve McQueen, all nice horse, but they'd also done a lot more. It was not until I'd taken him to a couple of workouts, where he ran second and third, that he started to impress me. Both times I thought he could have gone past the others if I'd asked him to. Off the place, it seemed as if he would step up." And when he qualified "stylishly", he became a "nice" horse, and Purdon then had the Sires' Stakes in the "back of my mind. That was a great performance, winning that, but he is a better horse now."

If Purdon and co-trainer Grant Payne had worries from time to time about his condition, they don't have them now. "He's the biggest eater on the place," Purdon said. "I recently saw a picture of Mach Three (his sire) after he won a race at the same age, and from the neck back you'd say they were identical." Between the Group 2 win of last week and the Group 1 he goes for this week, Auckland Reactor had a solo run on Monday and worked with company on Wednesday. It seems Purdon is cautious with what he does with him. "I could work him hard and he can be a good trackworker."

After Auckland Reactor and Fiery Falcon, the Mach Threes at All Star Stables almost run out. He doesn't have a 2-year-old, and his only yearling is the colt from Russley Friction bought at the Australasian Classic by Neil Pilcher and Bill Grice.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 2Apr08

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Justine Fisher, Ricky May & Sara Famularo celebrate the win

2008 GEORGE CALVERT CLEANING EASTER CUP

Bailey Dream first one week, Monkey King the next. That has been the Easter efforts at Addington for the lethal Steven Reid-Ricky May-Benny Hill combination.

They won the $150,000 George Calvert Cleaning Easter Cup at Addington last Friday night with Monkey King, Baileys Dream running a close third behind Classic Cullen after winning the lead-up race the week before, and the same Cup two years ago. It was May's fourth win from eight drives with Monkey King, and Reid said he will stay on the horse, he has won eight from 16 with Baileys Dream.

After the race, Reid spent as much time in the Judicial Room as he had done on the track, firstly losing a charge of half-carting early in the race that cost him $300, then successfully explaining his reasons for not using the whip on Baileys Dream when it got tight near the end. "He doesn't appreciate it," explained Reid to the stewards. He clamps his tail, and if anything will go slower rather than quicker. It made no difference to the result, but as I take a whip they'd like to see me do something with it like having it under his tail or hitting the shaft." He'll get the chance because both Baileys Dream and Monkey King have two races ahead of them next month; at Addington on April 11, and a $50,000 one at Rangiora a fortnight later.

Monkey King didn't make it easy for himself by missing the start by possibly as much as 30 metres, May saying he was put off by Awesome Armbro's behaviour ahead of him. He moved forward and got cover in the middle stages behind Classic Cullen and Baileys Dream, and bombed them both with his usual powerful pounce. He ran the 3200m in a sterling 4.01.8.

Reid only needs Monecito to keep his record moving and he'll have three runners in next season's NZ Cup. But reinforcements are light on the ground after that, and his possibilities for the Harness Jewels will not keep him busy. "Ohoka Moon has not come up quite as good as I would have liked, but I'm confident Sno's Big Boy will be in well, and so will Montecito. I'm a bit luke-warm on Anescape; he might be a back-door entry. I know a bit about the Cambridge track, and draws for those races will be critical. But Anescape's got the potential to be an Open Class horse."

Reid says his 2-year-olds and yearling numbers could mean a short-term gap in the ranks. "We've got five home-bred yearlings and bought four from the Sales, so all up there'll be nine. But we've got twenty-five foals on the ground, so there will be a lot of young horses to look forward to," he said.



Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 2Apr08

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2008 THE TRAVEL PRACTICE NZ TROTTING DERBY

Ashburton brothers Keith and Bevan Grice are building a super affinity with the NZ Trotting Derby. As breeders they've won it three times already this decade...with Dependable (trained by Mark Purdon) in 2001; Shirley Temple (Paul Nairn) last season, and now Doctor Mickey (Purdon & Grant Payne), who peeled off Sovereignty's back and edged past him to snatch victory in the Travel Practice-sponsored event on Friday night. All three talented trotters are about as closely related as you can get - Dependable was by Sundon out of Janetta's Pride, so is Shirley Temple, and Doctor Mickey is the first foal out of the pair's full-sister Jo Anne.

Allan and Lorraine Georgeson have been associated with the breed for many years too, initially through Dependable but most notably with Jo Anne, and the latter provided the couple with a whole host of fond memories after showing brilliance from 'Day One'. Jo Anne won 12 races in all, still hold three national records, and if there's one regret it's that she never went as far as expected after capturing seven of her 10 starts as a 2-year-old. "She gave us our best moments in the game," Allan recalls. "She was so dominant. When you went to the races, you knew you were going to win - probably by lengths, and in a good time too."

Jo Anne was raced on lease from the Grice brothers, and the Georgesons have been accorded the same luxury now that she's at stud. "We get the first right of refusal on her foals," Geogeson said. "They usually get snapped up pretty quickly if we don't, but the Grices are very fair and men of their word. "I thought Jo Anne would just have to leave a Derby winner, or a horse of some class, and if she didn't then maybe I should give up."

By Dr Ronerail, Doctor Mickey seemed to have lost his early reputation and wasn't given much hope in last Friday night's NZ Derby, having been landed with saddlecloth 13 when the 'big four' all drew the front line and posssessing nowhere near the same credentials; even Georgeson admits that he thought the horse "couldn't win", and hence didn't have a dime on him. "So it was a wee bit of a surprise - but a great thrill," he said afterwards. "He's always shown ability, but didn't have the manners to go with it. The mobile starts certainly help, because he's mad from a stand."

Having been broken in and educated by Mark Smolenski, Doctor Mickey joined the Purdon/Payne stable prior to his third start this time last year, and they've been listed as his 'official' trainers ever since. The gelding's gone home to the Georgeson's at various stages too though, and it hasn't been easy getting him up to where he is today. "He's just not as natural as the others, and has actually curbed both his hocks in the last couple of months," Georgeson said. "But we've all put in out tuppence worth...Lee (son) who used to take him swimming, Stephen Evans who works for us in the mornings, Tommy Behrns, and the vet Corrine Hills deserves a lot of credit for pinpointing a major problem with him. "I got her to look over him when she was down from Auckland one day, and she reckoned his knees were sore, meaning he was standing underneath himself in behind and putting strain on his hocks. So we did some remedial work on them, and put on some Back On Track boot which work a treat."

Georgeson's a licenceholder himself, but his involvement with horses has been scaled down somewhat since late last year when he needed an operation to remove a benign tumour on his brain. Left with a degree of facial palsy, recovery has been a very long and slow process but he's quick to add "well, I'm alive" and that he's gradually starting to get around the property as much as he ever did. So Doctor Mickey's Group 1 victory on Friday night was a much-welcomed boost for a family that's experienced their fair share of tribulations lately. Perhaps there could be more in store too, because plans for a North Island raid are on the table. "It'd be nice to get one more of the big ones," Georgeson said, not in any way meaning to sound greedy. "I don't think we're better than any of the other 3-year-olds, but perhaps showed that he's as good as them."

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 2Apr08

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2008 CHRISTIAN CULLEN NZ DERBY

In any other year, Georgetown would be hailed for his great victory in the NZ Derby. In any other year, he'd have a NZ record to show for it as well. But he's done neither, and this is not any other year.

This is 2008 - a bad year for good 3-year-olds. And Georgetown is a very good 3-year-old. He's not alone. Fiery Falcon, Absolute Magic, Mattnamara's Band, Justa Tiger, Passion N Glory and Goldie Blue also broke Holmes D G's 3:11.1 record in the $200,000 Christian Cullen NZ Derby, running the 2600m mobile in 3:11 or better. It was not good enough.

The winner won by three lengths and ran 3:09.4. He ran his last 800 metres in 55.8. His mile rate was 1:57.2. That's Auckland Reactor for you. Ten straight wins - the Southern Supremacy Stakes Final shaping as another scalp on April 26, and the Harness Jewels a month later. Again, Auckland Reactor raised the bar too high. He didn't lead as he did in the Flying Stakes the week before, he didn't come from last as he did when he won the Sires' Stakes in November. This was another dimension; no rush out of the gate, instead eased by Mark Purdon to a settling spot near the back. At the 1600m, he set off three wide, joining Georgetown at the 1250m, then taking over a lap out. He looked strong; Purdon said he felt it.

Full credit to Georgetown. Maybe still down a notch on his fitness, he tried hard to stay with Auckland Reactor when Purdon called for more at the top of the straight. But the quarry was off and gone, and as he ended with another hard-running quarter, the only unknown factors awaiting answers were time and margin. Barron knew he was part of both, running along at a bustling speed for the first lap, then being best of the chasers at the end of the second. "I don't know if one more race would have made any difference to my horse. He was four kgs below my goal weight for him. Maybe if he was there, I might have tried to park Mark, but basically we were running for second," he said. "We were travelling well until the 400 metres. Auckland Reactor put three lengths on us at the corner, and we couldn't get it back, though it didn't get any more." With stablemate Mattnamaras Band running home as well as Absolute Magic, Barron is now considering the New South Wales Derby on Anzac Day for both horses.

By Mach Three, Auckland Reactor is raced by his breeders, Auckland vet Tony Parker and his wife Anne, who bred him from the Soky's Atom mare Atomic Lass. He is her 11th foal. The Parkers finished second with Hunka Hickling in the Derby Stars And Stripes won, and second with Sharp And Telford, who was kicked by his stablemate and eventual winner The Court Owl the day before the race. They have many hopes waiting in the wings, with foals this season by Bettor's Delight, McArdle, Artesian, Live Or Die, and Dream Away, plus yearlings by Mach Three, Continentalman, Badlands Hanover, Earl, Grinfromeartoear and Malabar Maple.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 9Apr08

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2008 NZ TROTTERS TRUST NZ TROTTING OAKS

When Graham and Virginia Williams bred their Nero's BB mare Second Guess to Armbro Invasion, it was going to be the last one. The mechanic at the Cust garage and his wife had not bred a winner, and they thought it was time to stop.

The foal they bred had been hurt, almost put down, but a neighbour took it on lease and later bought him for $1000. That was Major Decision, the winner of 17 races and $349,000, still racing at 13, and for the Williams "the turning point". Since then they have bred one or two foals every season, either from Second Guess or Lady Attewell, an unraced dual-gaited mare by Meadow Roydon.

None of them had been winners in 17 years, until a dramatic change in their fortunes in the $35,000 NZ Trotters Trust NZ Trotting Oaks at Addington last Friday night. They won it with Lady Eskay, Lady Attewell's filly by Safely Kept. Lady Eskay had done nothing in 11 starts to suggest she would be much of a worry for the favourites and form horses, and in any event she was meant to be pacing.

Four years ago, the couple won a service offered by Alabar at a breeders' night to either D M Dilinger or Safely Kept. They chose the latter, and bred a dark brown, energetic little thing who was a handful to break in. Her trainer Brent Lilley says she was "fiery". She never paced; and Lilley never tried her. But he liked her enough to take a share in racing her. She could trot, and to keep on top of her, Lilley kept her busy.

"She had growing pains, and little niggling problems, but I always had some time for her, even though there's not much of her. Brent Borcoskie did a great job with her in her lead-up races, but the owners felt that in a race like this they wanted someone who was out in these type of races more often. That's why Mark drove her." And, as he did with Doctor Mickey the week before when he caused an upset in the NZ Trotters' Derby, Purdon played a waiting game, buried three-deep in this case behind Gladys Emanuel and Darby Doll. He punctured the tyre of Gladys Emanuel as he eased into the open after With Intent broke on the corner, then caught Darby Doll and Gladys Emanuel and ran past them to win by half a length and half a head.

Graham Williams owes his start in harness racing to a friendship he had with Waru Taumanu, then "doing the boxes" for Denis Nyhan when Nyhan had one of the best stables in the country. "I remember leading two horses down to a paddock one day and thought 'I've got a NZ Cup winner on one side, and a Dominion Handicap winner on the other - Robalan and Hal Good."

They have more young ones to come, and they're pleased about that. One is a 2-year-old brother to Major Decision, and the other is a yearling filly by Armbro Operative from Lady Attewell. Now they have the Jewels ahead of them with Lady Eskay, though Lilley is making no commitment about that right now. Both Second Guess and Lady Attewell are getting on, one 20 and the other 16. Until recently, the Williams may not have been anxiuos to replace them, but a Group 3 winner has taken the guesswork out of that.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 9Apr08

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2008 GARRY THOMPSON/ FRED SHAW NZ TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP

In just 23 starts, Mountbatten has climbed to the top of the trotting ranks in New Zealand. He has won eight races, and more than $200,000. He has won two Group 1s, the Dominion Handicap and the $100,000 Garry Thompson/ Fred Shaw NZ Trotting Championship at Addington last Friday.

Considering he won a one-win front from ten metres behind at the start of the season, Mountbatten's elevation has been remarkable. He followed the Dominion with three races over Christmas at Auckland and Cambridge, and his second to Idid It Myway on the first night of the Met's Easter meeting was his first race for two and a half months. Tim Butt, who trains him with Phil Anderson, was a little concerned when he was beaten by Awesome Imace and Houdini Star the next week, so there was no day off for him last week. "He's a very athletic horse. He's got a big Sundon motor and he's a lot better that what people think," Butt said.

Anthony Butt reached the front with him at the 2000 metres, and he gradually pulled well clear of the others to beat Galleons Assassin by three lengths, who had a long neck on Lotsa Speed, Mountbatten's stablemate and possibly a big mover in waiting in the open class ranks. Idid It Myway broke at the 1000 metres when trying to improve.

Credit: HRWeekly 9Apr08

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2008 BROMAC LODGE NZ WELCOME STAKES

Although Sir Clive's winning streak came to an end on Friday, the consolation for the Mark Purdon/ Grant Payne stable was that it was inflicted by another of their representatives.

Bettor's Delight colt Highview Tommy and Blair Orange snatched a late victory off his stablemate in the $100,000 Group 1 Bromac Lodge NZ Welcome Stakes at Addington. Both were huge runs, and Purdon says there's little between the two youngsters. "On ability, they're very comparable," he said. "Every run of Highview Tommy's has been a great one when you analyse it...on debut in Auckland he was three-deep and rattled home for third, beaten a head and a neck, and then second-up he was three-wide from the 700m and went down by a neck in NZ record time."

Earlier in the season Purdon

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 16Apr08

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CADUCEUS CLUB OF CANTERBURY NZ PREMIER MARES CHAMPIONSHIP

It's Ella saved the best 'til last. The last 50 metres of her event on Friday night, that is; the last 50 metres of her racetrack career.

Because it was that precise moment - after four years of being in training, dozens of miles along the beach, countless hours in the pool, and 53 trips to the races - that her troublesome near-side front leg said 'enough is enough'. Ricky May said he felt It's Ella wobble a quarter of a furlong from home...despite the fact that Foreal was still in hot pursuit, and not to mention the energy-sapping run she'd had to endure, It's Ella gritted her teeth and stayed in her gait to the line.

It's almost like she knew where the finish was too, as once she'd passed the post she let go and rolled into a gallop. Maybe it was because her owners were there to see her, perhaps she wanted to prove for one last time that she could start from a horror draw and still beat the best mares in commission; whichever, it was a performance that personified courage in every sense of the word.

On this occasion It's Ella didn't just blast out and take the lead like many would've expected. There were a couple drawn closer in than had their own plans and gunned out early, so much so that even main danger Foreal was beaten in the jostle for prominent positions, and It's Ella hadn't been any better off than three-wide before finally crossing to the pilot seat with a lap to travel. Foreal and Anthony Butt had kept her out there when May hade his move in front of the grandstand, actions which Butt had to justify to the stipes afterwards, so It's Ella had used a heck of a lot of petrol getting to the front.

At break-neck speed, with Foreal now beautifully slotted in the trail her and a dickey leg that was about to falter, It's Ella should've been a sitting duck. Should've been, but wasn't. "Frig she went good," May said as he hopped out of the cart, shaking his head in disbelief. "She just did that on her ear, and look at her - she's not even blowing."

The pair had been greeted back by trainers David and Catherine Butt, and although thrilled with the victory their concerns now rested solely on It's Ella's condition. She'd visibly been favouring the leg on her way back from the birdcage, and when David asked her to be walked briskly to the wash so he could see for himself, It's Ella was definitely tender and dipped even more noticeably in her action. "Yep, she's finished I'd say," Butt lamented. "The ol' leg's worn out. She's got a low bow in her leg, below the fetlock, which is one of the worst places they can go in the tendon. It's an injury she's had for a while and it flared up again, but she's one of those amazing mares who doesnt feel pain. It had gotten worse though, and she'd been pulling up sore - we've only swum her for the last fortnight."

Raced by Jim and Irene Holland together with Megan McLellan, wife of the mare's former trainer Brendon, It's Ella was spelled due to injury this time last year after taking out both of the big mares races at Addington. Sighted again in October, she managed another 11 outings in her comeback and took her win tally from 13 to 16 for nearly $300,000 in stakemoney. It was always the plan to retire her for good after this Friday'd NZ Breeders Stakes anyway, being in foal to Falcon Seelter - it's just become nesessary a week ahead of schedule.

So it's finally over for the super Washington VC mare. There's a saying that first impressions last, and It's Ella certainly made a decent one when winning on debut at Ascot Park in February three years ago. But for mine it's her last race that'll stick with me, because that is the night when It's Ella overcame all sorts of adversities to go out on the highest of notes. And had it not been for a freakish performance of Nick Off Holme on Cup Day, It's Ella would've been taking a national record with her...

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 30Jan08

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2008 BALLANTYNES TROT

Club syndicates acquiring yearlings at the Sales by trainers selecting them from the middle market is a concept that has proved an outstanding success, and another chapter was written in that story when Roydon Flash took out the featured Ballantynes Trot on New Zealand Cup Day at Addington. A good and consistent sort who is "always a chance," Roydon Flash recorded his ninth win on Tuesday, and along with 13 seconds from his 49 starts to date the 6-year-old son of S J's Photo has now won around $120,000.

Anthony Butt gave the gelding a lovely trip on the outer and he outgunned Braig and the brave pacemaking mare Marie Wishes close to home. Roydon Flash will now back up in Friday's $100,000 NZ Trotting FFA and the $300,000 Dominion Handicap on Friday week. "He might as well race on Friday - that will save me having to work him," said co-trainer Tim Butt. "The trotters don't actually look overly strong at the moment so this could be a very good meeting for him," he added.

Tuesday was already good enough for most of the many people involved in the Met Three Syndicate, which purchased three horses out of the 2004 Premier Sale. The three leading trainers from Addington the previous season have got to do the honours at each sale in recent years, and that year Ken Barron sorted out Willie Five 0, who managed a win at Addington a couple of years ago. Cran Dalgety had selected Analyst, a smart youngster who won a Sires' Stakes 2YO Silver at Addington and started in the Sires' Stakes 3YO Final won by Pay Me Christian. The Presidential Ball colt won four races and $54,000 before he was sold to America.

The syndicates had started out with Met One, which had three winners including a good sort in Pocket Game (4 NZ wins, $64,000) for Barron. Met Two went even better however with New Zealand Derby winner and unlucky Cup runner Likmesiah (13 NZ wins, $424,000) along with Danger Sign (7 NZ wins, $59,000). Met Four races rising star Texas Hold Em, who was second later on Tuesday, along with Jack Jack Attack who has managed half a dozen placings to date. Met Five has three 2-year-olds by Christian Cullen and McArdle and a brother to Sovereignty, while Met Co-Syndicate Manager Blair Cartwright says they are likely to "go again" next year with the amount of interest about. "We normally have a syndicate every second year, but the next one is half full already and we haven't even put it to the existing syndicate members yet," said Cartwright. "It is the horse which make it so successful and easy - I call Roydon Flash out little Eftpos machine," he added.

It was Tim Butt who instigated buying a trotter when the syndicates had previously sought pacers. "Most pacers win a race or two and they have reached their mark, but if you can get a decent trotter, they can go on racing and winning for years," said Butt. "Roydon Flash might not be able to beat the good trotters, but he is still pretty good. He has speed and he can stay so he is always a chance," he added.

Butt recalls that he looked at four colts by S J's Photo in the 2004 Sale and wound up with the last of them for his budgeted $25,000. "He was actually the smallest one of them, but he was out of a Simon Roydon half-sister to Sundon and he had no faults. I don't think the others did any good." The others were Lightscameraction, who won a two-horse Breeders' Crown event as a 2-year-old, and who is still trying to win another race in Australia, along with Kyvalley Mirage (8 Aus wins, $34,775) and Locophoto, who raced without winning.

Once through the Cup Meeting, Roydon Flash will either go to Auckland for Christmas racing or to Victoria, but either way he is heading for the Inter-Dominions.

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 13Nov08

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2008 FIRESTONE - SOUTHERN DEMOLITION & SALVAGE LTD FREE-FOR-ALL

As a race it wasn't much of a spectacle. In fact for Auckland Reactor, Tuesday's $50,000 Firestone - Southern Demolition & Salvage Ltd FFA was no more than a light workout and one of the co-sponsors provided for an appropriate analogy. But the big crowd gave the unbeaten superstar a rousing reception anyway, and now the harness racing world awaits a 'clash of titans' in Friday's $300,000 Woodlands New Zealand Free-For-All.

That will be Auckland Reactor's first true test against older horses outside his own age group, but Mark Purdon has no doubt he is up to them. There have been the usual doubters that the son of Mach Three could take the step up from 3-year-old racing and improve enough to take on and beat the best older horses in the land as a 4-year-old. Purdon has not been one of them, and the form on Tuesday of Fiery Falcon, last season's second best 3-year-old, was a pretty good indicator. Another was the way he went to the line in last week's Cup Trial at Addington after working up to sit outside Monkey King and Changeover from the half as they sped home in 26.3.

This was the first time Auckland Reactor has been beaten anywhere in his career, but there is no money or glory in trials. Whether Auckland Reactor wins on Friday will have a bit to do with where he draws and just who does or doesn't back up from the Cup, but just safely through that engagement, he is almost certainly heading for the Miracle Mile later this month and staying for the Victoria Cup on December 20. "The (NSW) club rang me recently to see if I was interested in going, because someone had told them I wasn't," said Purdon. "But we would have to seriously consider it if he comes through the FFA okay. The only real problem with it is he can't get home again until the end of December, so we might as well take in the Victoria Cup as well," he added.

Much of the future from that point - getting home - will depend on what has gone on in the recent past, but one thing Auckland Reactor won't be doing is both the Auckland Cup and the Inter-Dominions. On Tuesday, Purdon was unaware that the proposed $1m World Cup at Menangle had been called off - if it ever even got off the ground that is - but there are nice 4-year-old races in Auckland such as the Taylor Mile and Messenger to compliment the earlier Auckland Cup. Beyond that, America is beckoning probably as much as Australia.

Auckland Reactor is owned by a small syndicate which includes Peter Heffering of Tara Hills Stud in Ontario and Jerry Silva one of the big owners in North America, and if he is to one day have prospects as a shuttle sire, he needs to prove himself as a racehorse in America. Such a mission is viewed by Purdon not so much as a challenge, but an ambition, and an Auckland Reactor at the height of his career is just the horse to achieve it. It will also be remembered that it was Purdon who was not adverse to trekking halfway around the world to take on the best trotters in Europe with Pride Of Petite in the Elitlopp back in the mid-90s.

Auckland Reactor sped out and sped home "on his own" to win on Tuesday in a 'pedestrian' 1.58 mile rate. "He went out of the gate on his own and he finished as he liked - he felt so good I didn't even have to worry about pulling the ear plugs." The half and quarter went by in dazzling sectionals of 54.8 and 26.3, but this was Auckland Reactor still in second gear. He won easing down by a flattering length and a quarter from Presido, who chased him around to show some sort of form, but he hasn't won a good-class race since Kaikoura three years ago. Good mares Artishake, Time To Fly and Letitia Franco had another good race among themselves further afield, but all eyes were on 'the unbeaten one'.

So far so good - now there are just the expectations to maintain.



Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 13Nov08