Dalgety not conceding premiership chase yet
HE STOPPED short of declaring all out war, but Cran Dalgety realises there is a slight chance he could overhaul Mark Purdon on the national trainers premiership.
Purdon holds an 11 win lead on Dalgety with 112 victories this season, and with just 10 meetings in the South Island remaining the West Melton horseman is going to need to have a stellar month to catch up.
“We would have to have a brilliant month,” Dalgety said.
“I guess it’s not completely out of the equation, but it would take something special.”
Purdon is traditionally light on racing numbers during the final stages of the season as his focus shifts to Australia and the early preparations of his premier runners for spring assignments.
He will still have a small number of horses racing during July, but not the usual number.
And that is what is leaving the door slightly ajar for Dalgety.
His numbers aren’t huge either, but he has a team of horses heading to tracks like Forbury Park and other venues Purdon doesn’t usually race at.
“I’ve got about a dozen horses who will race through until the end of the season.
“I guess I would like to think they might be all able to pick up one or two along the way too.”
What will help the cause are red-letter days like yesterday’s meeting at Rangiora where Dalgety picked up three winners including his 100th for the season.
He won with Mac Bubbles and Abraxas and then picked up the feature event of the day, the Rangiora Winter Cup, with brilliant three-year-old Bit Of A Legend to leave his season tally at 101 come days end.
All three horses were piloted astutely by Dexter Dunn who has driven 89 of Dalgety’s 101 winners this season. Dunn boosted his overall season tally to 182 yesterday.
“I’m bloody lucky to have him really,” Dalgety said.
“I have always said though that you are only as good as the team around you and I am very fortunate to have such a great team.
“Not just Dex, but everyone back at the stables too.”
Bit Of A Legend will now be aimed at a heat of the Australian Breeders Crown on July 19 with the view to earning a path straight into the final.
If successful he will clash with his nemesis Border Control who was an impressive winner in Australia on Friday night.
The pair fought out the finish of both the New Zealand Derby and the New Zealand record-breaking Harness Jewels three year old Emerald race at Ashburton.