By Michael Guerin
Reminders don’t come much more timely than what Mark Purdon unleashed at Cambridge on Friday night.
Here we were, a week out from the mega money slot races and with the Australian barbarians at the gate and the locals with all sort of issues and question marks.
For much of the last decade when he needed a harness racing Superman to restore Kiwi pride he came in a blue cape with silver stars.
But there is no hiding from the fact Mark Purdon is kinda semi retired, son and training partner Nathan is in the throes of moving north and what has been our go-to Group 1 stable for so long is in a transition.
They have not been as scary as they were five years ago and definitely not as fearsome as Leap To Fame, Don Hugo or The Locomotive have been this season.
Those Aussies, one of them already a champion, the other two their places in history yet to be written, may still be too big and fast in the $1million Race by Betcha and the $600,000 TAB Trot next Friday.
But their trainers would be a lot happier coming to Cambridge knowing the Purdons weren’t going to be there with two huge last start winners, maybe even horses peaking at the right time.
Mark (with Nathan’s help, of course) didn’t really need to remind us that he is the best we have ever produced but Chase A Dream needed to remind us he is a class pacer. Or in fact interested in being a pacer at all.
After two poor runs so far this campaign, he looked a different horse in the $60,000 Garrard’s Flying Mile and he reminded us in graphic style, smashing the track record with a 1:51.4 mile beating a charging Merlin, the favourite too far back and with no easy way to get into the race.
Sure, the race was set up for the swoopers when Rakero Rocket and Sooner The Bettor got busy early but Chase A Dream won like the horse we all hope and wish he might be.
“Maybe he had been a bit fat inside being a stallion and tonight was crucial for him,” says Purdon, indicating another poor run and Chase A Dream could have missed next week.
“But he will definitely be starting next Friday now.”
Can Chase A Dream really beat the Aussies, or a fitter Merlin or even former stablemate Don’t Stop Dreaming?
Well, he has a lot better shot than he did before Friday night, of that there is no doubt.
Pinseeker was great in third and Rakero Rocket incredibly brave after one of the fastest first 400m in New Zealand history.
Maybe they can’t win next Friday. But they showed on this Friday they belong.
Then it was Oscar’s turn for a little reminder, which seems to have been the story of the last year of his life.
He is stunning about 30 per cent of the time these days and Friday night fell into that right percentile.
He settled third in a race turned on its head when hot favourite Bet N Win couldn’t cross Not As Promised, who lead with Bet N Win forced back to fourth, following Oscar in single file.
Oscar peeled, Oscar won in 1:55.7 and Oscar reminded everybody that if things gets hectic next Friday he is still quick enough to punish the over-aggressive.
His 33rd career win saw him move into $3 equal favouritism for the TAB Trot, alongside The Locomotive and while his draw may not be as crucial as early race pressure for Oscar Bonavena, he could still profit from his key rivals drawing to make each other lives difficult.
So we move on to Tuesday and the barrier reveal.
By then the Australians will be here, the vet checks, blood reports and penultimate workouts will be done.
Numbers will be assigned, the chat will start. But one thing won’t change.
That on the Friday before the Friday that matters, we all got a reminder or three.
