Turn It Up shows potential by winning cup in only ninth start

RISING star Turn It Up confirmed his freak status with a frontwinning win in the Auckland Cup on Monday night.

The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussentrained 4yrold joined some of the country’s greatest pacers as a winner of the group 1 feature at Alexandra Park.

And he made some of the champions on the honour roll look like they had taken an age to win the 3200m feature by doing it in just his ninth start.

Purdon admitted after the race even he did not know what heights the exciting Turn It Up could hit as his stunning career progressed.

‘‘This guy has got a lot of potential. I am not sure where it will end.’’

Purdon said the path to Auck land Cup glory started when Turn It Up ran second behind Cruz Bromac in the New Zealand Freeforall.

The impressive effort not only showed the horse was up to the top level, it helped his trainers chose between making a final acceptance for the Interdominions or heading to the Auckland Cup.

As usual, Purdon and Rasmussen’s judgement about a course of action proved pinpoint.

‘‘When he ran second in the freeforall it really impressed me,’’ Purdon said.

‘‘From there, with the way Cruz Bromac went on in the Interdominions it sowed the seed.

‘‘I always wanted to bring him up [to Auckland] because I always felt he was better this way around.’’

Turn It Up showed a rare chink in his seemingly impenetrable armour with a slightly slow start to the Auckland Cup.

Purdon said it was just a case of the horse not being ready when the strands were released.

‘‘He just wasn’t quite ready, but after that he was fine.”

Once he was pacing, Turn It Up was caught three wide on the first bend and Purdon opted to press forward. When the 4yrold hit the front with 2800m to run, the race was effectively over for his opposition.

Only two rival drivers came with midrace moves during the entire event.

Tony Herlihy sent Star Galleria forward with just over a lap to go and Blair Orange followed him around with Ashley Locaz.

Those manoeuvres paid dividends as the pair were able to fight on for placings as Turn It Up reeled off fast closing sectionals to win.

Star Galleria grabbed second placing over Ashley Locaz by a head at the finish.

The surprise of the race came when Dream About Me could not capitalise on a dream run on the speed.

The star mare was unable to quicken from the trail and ran a battling sixth, beaten almost four lengths.