Sicario favoured despite wide draw

Despite being tasked with the widest alley in the race, Sicario has opened as the postdraw favourite for the New Zealand Pacing Derby at Addington tomorrow night.

The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen-trained three-year-old was at

$3.40 by late afternoon, clearly ahead of stablemate Anthem ($4) and Sheriff ($4), both of whom drew the second row in the

$200,000 feature.

Aside from being in the country’s premier stable (winners of five of the last six runnings of the race), Sicario ran a close second to absent stablemate Chase Auckland in the Northern Derby last month.

Purdon will stick with Sicario as his drive while Rasmussen will pilot Anthem, a massive shortener in markets after being as long as $26 just a few weeks ago. He will be shooting for his third New Zealand Derby in a row as both trainer and driver.

Sicario showed impressive gate speed to lead in the Northern Derby Prelude three starts ago, but is unlikely to cross speedsters Pat’s Delight ($10.50) and Alta Maestro ($20).

Punters will also support Purdon in the New Zealand Trotting Derby earlier in the night after the filly, Luby Lou, opened a $3.80 elect with bookies, despite racing the boys.

The $100,000 Group 1 feature has attracted a strong field and bookies are playing it safe with four other horses in double figures – Paramount King ($5.80), Valloria ($6.20), Winterfell ($6.20) and Girls On Film ($7.20).