Hartofdixie set for final

Hartofdixie, a starter in the $25,000 North Island Country Cups Final at New Plymouth on Friday, is the first horse Barry Purdon has raced in Taranaki for a long time.

The American Ideal mare has had a win and a second at Alexandra Park and success in the Rotorua Cup at her past three starts.

‘‘She’s been going good and has been getting better and better,’’ said Purdon.

Hartofdixie pleased the Clevedon horseman with her sec- ond in a three-horse workout at Pukekohe on March 23. She is in contention to gain a start in the $150,000 four-year-old mares’ race at the Harness Jewels in Cambridge on June 4. She is ranked sixth.

Beyond The Silence, who finished sixth when favourite in Monday’s Hawera Cup, is a danger to Hartofdixie.

Trained at Cambridge by Andrew and Lyn Neal, Beyond The Silence was back early in the Hawera Cup but was closing on the leaders at the finish. The field raced in pairs past the 600m and at that stage, Beyond the Silence was too far back.

‘‘Nothing dragged him into it,’’ Andrew Neal said. With a better run, Beyond The Silence is capable of fighting out the finish on Friday.

Chillysjustastrutter ran second, beaten half a length by Tijuana Bromac, in the Hawera Cup after being four or five back on the inside mostly. Maramarua trainer Ian Small said Chillysjustastrutter’s good standing start manners were an asset.

‘‘She can’t rough it but if she’s covered up, she can come home good,’’ Small said.

Pukekohe trainer-driver Brent Mangos has four-horse team spearheaded by Country Cups Final contender Major Star.