by Michael Guerin
Trainer Matt Purvis knows it won’t be as easy as the numbers suggest for Piccadilly Pete in today’s $25,000 Donegal House Marlborough Pacer’s Cup.
Because if it was the pacing find of the summer would be almost a good thing to continue his grass track domination.
The four-year-old comes into today’s 2850m beautifully, having won the lead-up on Friday but not being re-handicapped.
That means he is a Rating 74 horse off a 10m handicap alongside horses rated 10 points lower than him while the Rating 76 horses Bryces Meddle and Whos Delight have to give him a 20m start.
As if they didn’t make it hard enough Piccadilly Pete is in the form of his life, having won four of his last five starts, all on grass and has New Zealand’s most in-form driver in Samantha Ottley.
“The grass has suited him in that he is one of those horses who doesn’t lose his speed on the grass,” says Purvis.
“He is still quick at Addington as we have seen but the grass doesn’t seem to slow him down.”
Piccadilly Pete proved that both days at the recent Westport circuit before being set for this meeting and Purvis says so far, so good as for winning both days.
“I took him out to his paddock this morning and he was full of himself and really well so Friday didn’t take anything out of him,” he said on Saturday.
“We know it won’t be easy to repeat because these country cups races are always hard but there is no reason to think he won’t go as well again.”
Which makes it a tad surprising the TAB didn’t open Piccadilly Pete as favourite, the bookies rating him only the $4.60 second elect behind first day favourite Wild Willow.
The latter paced roughly on the home bend on Friday when also favourite but came again in the straight and is an obvious chance on his best form.
Purvis also suggests punters could do worse than follow his first day placegetter Living The Moment (R5, No.13).
“She got crook over on the Coast so she will improve with that run on Friday.”
Today’s meeting also hosts the $20,000 Seddon Shields Marlborough Trotters Cup with Tu Tangata opening the favourite but first day winner MM Sunshine quickly backed in from $9 to $6.