Time for Ultimate Machete to cut it

AUCKLAND: Ultimate Machete has to be Mr Perfect to leave Addington tonight as a deserved favourite for the New Zealand Trotting Cup.

The longtime favourite has been unplaced in all three races this season yet punters have stuck with him, especially after Aussie star Chicago Bull was withdrawn with injury this week.

Memories of his previous cup week heroics, winning the Sires’ Stakes at 3 and crushing Tiger Tara in the freeforall last season, as well as the fact he is trained by Purdon and Rasmussen, mean Ultimate Machete still leads the market even though he has galloped away in two of his three starts.

But now the time for excuses is over.

With just 11 days until the New Zealand Cup, fitness can no longer be a concern and he will never get a better chance to step away safely than off the 30m mark in race 8 tonight, with plenty of room and horses to follow out, and keep his mind on the job.

A safe beginning from Ultimate Machete should enable him to work forward and bully most of his rivals tonight and win. Anything less, and Tiger Tara deserves to be cup favourite.

Trainer Mark Purdon is cautiously optimistic the composition of tonight’s race suits his stocky 5yrold.

‘‘Usually, following them out like that, they get their chance to step away, and at home he can actually be brilliant away, but you have to get him on the right foot,’’ Purdon said.

‘‘So I’d like to see that this week because he goes back to a full front line in the cup, where his manners will need to be perfect.’’

Purdon and partner Natalie Rasmussen hold the aces in the feature and he says Dream About Me is every bit as good a chance as Ultimate Machete, while Thefixer is over a recent setback and worked pleasingly on Wednesday morning. So, with the likes of Alta Orlando in the mix too, Ultimate Machete will have to earn that cup favouritism tonight.

Tonight’s meeting contains some important precup meeting clashes, with the next heat of the Sires’ Stakes and classy 3yrolds Ultimate Sniper (Ultimate Machete’s little brother) and Major Trojan meeting in a lowergrade race. — NZME