Smolda too hot for rivals at Ballarat

Purdon faces a rethink after so-called second-stringer easily beats the big guns

Smolda may be forcing his connections into a rethink that could win him the most unlikely of titles. The Kiwi veteran continued his golden summer with a recordsmashing victory in the A$120,000 Ballarat Cup on Saturday night, outstaying red-hot stablemate Lazarus and Lennytheshark.

The win means Smolda defended the Cup he won last season but this summer has been vastly different to last, as he has already won the Inter Dominion title in Perth and the South Australia Cup.

Originally, trainer Mark Purdon was using Saturday’s race as a leadup to the A$500,000 Hunter Cup at Melton in 12 days’ time, planning to miss this Saturday’s Victoria Cup.

But so dominant was Smolda pacing his last mile in a crazy 1:52.2 on Saturday Purdon and his connections must now be tempted to start him this week as well, especially

A$500,000 Hunter Cup; $A300,000 Great Southern Star Trot; A$200,000 Victoria Derby; A$100,000 Bonanza (Lazarus); A$100,000 Ladyship Cup. as he finished a close second in the Victoria Cup last year then still won the Hunter.

Purdon has until late today to make that decision and if he does accept it will add to some depth to a Victoria Cup which is shaping as a two-horse war between Lazarus and Hectorjayjay.

The icing on the cake could be that if Smolda wins this Saturday it would be very hard to make a case against