Bold run On The Cards in Derby
Auckland trainer Barry Purdon is in Christchurch has brought On The Cards south for tonight’s Group 1 $200,000 New Zealand Pacing Derby at Addington.
‘‘He’s travelled down well – he only got here in the early hours of Wednesday morning,’’ Purdon said. ‘‘But he ate up well last night and had a light hopple this morning.’’
A wide draw, with plenty of speed inside him, has Purdon thinking driver Zac Butcher only has one move.
‘‘He has got the gate speed, but I’d say we’ll drop back early.
‘‘He’s just too far out there at eight; we have had a go if he drew five or six, but it’s too risky from eight.’’
A forward showing is expected and Purdon thinks On The Cards can turn around his Northern Derby failure, where he worked hard in the parked position outside Chase Auckland on a national record speed.
‘‘I’m very happy with the horse and if he ran in the money I would not be shocked, even from that draw. I’m hopefully he will get the right run and follow the right horse in to the finish.’’
Meanwhile an untimely illness has likely seen the end of Jack’s Legend’s season with Purdon conceding he has run out of time to get him ready for upcoming features.
The Taylor Mile and New Zealand Messenger, both four-yearold features at Alexandra Park later this month, were to be the seasonal swansong for the New Zealand Cup place-getter.
But shortly after a huge deal to buy the son of Bettor’s Delight fell over last month, he got sick and it’s put him on the back foot.
‘‘I still have to speak to the owners and confirm it, but it doesn’t look promising,’’ said Purdon on Thursday.
‘‘He got a really bad cold, a nasty one that turned out to be viral, and he’s only just getting over it now. He’s on the improve but has missed a lot of work and I’m not hopeful of getting him ready in time.’’
Jack’s Legend’s absence, combined with that of Vincent and Ultimate Machete, will springboard Star Galleria in to favouritism, along with the first two home in the Easter Cup, A G’s White Socks and More The Better.
● Meanwhile promising Canterbury pacer Governor’s Bay has been sold and is destined to do his future racing in Australia.
For now, the son of Rocknroll Hanover is heading to Southland where he will join Brett Gray’s stable.
Victorian couple Merv and Meg Butterworth acquired Governor’s Bay from trainer Tom Bagrie and connections after a superb second placing at Addington just under a fortnight ago.
But rather than line him up in a $20,000 event tonight as Bagrie had planned, the Butterworths have set their sights a bit lower.
‘‘I wasn’t interested in the
$20,000 race at ‘the Met’ this week as, if he had won, he would have been rated in Australia as a C2
M1.
‘‘Being an M1 horse, this would have precluded him from going through the grades in an orderly Australian way.
‘‘My view is that we can win six or more C-class races at an average of $7,000 per race before we head to the city and contest an MO for $20,000.’’
Butterworth has forged a close relationship with Gray in recent seasons and this transfer is an extension of that.
‘‘The plan is to race him with Brett at Winton in a $9,000 race on April 14 and then view our options from there.’’