Striving for ‘Purrfection’
CAIRNS trainer Mark Dale hopes a dominant last-start victory will help the penny drop with improving fiveyearPurrfectionist.
After failing to finish in the top three in his first five career starts, the grey-chestnut gelding broke through to win his first race in the Maiden Handicap (1400m) at Cairns earlier this month.
Purrfectionist will tomorrow shoot for his second win on the bounce in the 0-55 Handicap (1600m) at Cairns.
“He’s taken a while to learn his trade and he’ still not quite there yet,” Dale said.
“I probably had the wrong handle on him in his first couple of starts and gave him a few too many shorter races.
“He was a bit disappointing and he just seemed to be going a bit one-paced.
“He appreciates the longer trip and being able to settle into a rhythm.
“When he ran the 1400m the other day, he was four or five wide the whole race and the widest runner in the straight, but he still managed to find the line.
“He’s got great stamina.” Dale said it would be a tough assignment, with Purrfectionist to carry an extra 3.5kg on his last start, going up in the weights to 58.5kg.
“He’ll have to improve on his run the other day with that weight and from the wide gate,” Dale said.
Jockey Stephen Wilson will take the reins from Les Tilley, who rode Purrfectionist to his maiden victory in Cairns two weeks ago.
“Les has got a busy week with a meeting in Toowoomba on Saturday, so he’s having the Friday off,” Dale said.
“Stephen rode him the week before (Les) won on him in Mareeba and he gave him a really good ride.”
The trainer will also send out four-year-old mare Modernism, who will be having her first start since May.
“She’s up in grade and she’s only a maiden mare but she’s not quite ready to go to the 1250m yet, which is the Maiden Handicap this Friday,” he said.
“She’ll go up in the Class 1 Handicap over 950m and she’ll be competitive.
“She’s a horse that I’ve got a fairly good opinion of.
“Going forward, I think there’s plenty of wins in store for her.”