Lazarus brave in defeat

CHRISTCHURCH: Just 10 days after his second New Zealand Cup triumph in Christchurch, champion New Zealand pacer Lazarus has been beaten in his first start in the Interdominion series at Gloucester Park in Perth.

All the talk prerace was whether Lazarus, from an outside draw, could match it with local star Soho Tribeca, who had drawn barrier 2 and was a likely leader.

Soho Tribeca’s trainer, Kim Prentice, who won the 2003 Interdominion in Christchurch with Baltic Eagle, talked up a big game in the media during the week.

And he backed it up in spades. Lazarus was brave in defeat, sitting parked for the last 1400m outside the winner, but a searing 54.5sec final 800m meant he could not reel in the leader.

His cotrainer and driver, Mark Purdon, still managed featurerace success on the card, however, with Ultimate Machete winning the group 1 A$125,000 ($NZ137,472) FourYearOld Classic.

He started a $1.10 favourite from the coveted ace draw but was crossed early on by both Wardan Express and Rock Diamonds.

Purdon was off the pegs quickly and straight round to the lead, a position from which he dominated the race thereafter.

He burned a 1.53.8 mile rate around the halfmile track and cleared out to win by 11m, showing no real illeffects from his brilliant New Zealand FreeForAll win at Addington seven days earlier and the significant travel involved in getting to Perth.

Purdon’s other charge in the Interdominions, Have Faith In Me, was lost for early speed and could not get in to the race, finishing secondlast behind alltheway winner Chicago Bull.

Aussie champion Lennytheshark won the other heat, also leading from start to finish in the hands of Chris Alford, defying a tough Tiger Tara who sat parked outside him and fought on for second.

Completing the Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen squad was Piccadilly Princess, who put in a good effort for fifth from an unsuitable secondline draw, in the Norms Daughter Classic for mares.

The Interdominion series now moves to the 960m Bunbury track tomorrow night for another round of $A75,000 heats. Lazarus has again drawn poorly, second from the outside in a race where Tiger Tara is drawn to lead.

Have Faith In Me is on the outside (3) of the second line in Lennytheshark’s heat. — NZ Harness News