by Michael Howard
Plenty of talented horses have passed through Kent Harpley’s hands but it’s a blooming seven-year-old longshot who has thrust the renowned preparer’s name into the spotlight.
Cardon Merger’s ripping dash down the Lord Nelson Park sprint lane captured the Weir’s Supa IGA St Arnaud Pacing Cup and gave his Junortoun trainer his biggest win to date.
“It was good for the horse and the owners, everyone had fun,” Harpley said.
Victory in the $14,000 feature continued something of a purple patch for Cardon Merger, who has ventured to the racetrack 82 times since being snapped up as a yearling for about $8000 by owners Paul O’Sullivan, John Fitzpatrick and Samuel Bonanno.
Harpley broke in and prepared the then Wally Walton colt and the owners elected to keep him in the same hands.
“I used to break in a lot of horses, then I had a new hip put in and a fair bit of cancer cut out and it swapped around a fair bit,” Harpley said. “I’m starting to keep a few more horses to train myself and am enjoying it.
“I have pre-trained a lot for Larry (Eastman) and Dale (Eastman) and had a lot nice horses come through, including Guaranteed and Yankee Rockstar and Larry’s top horses like Menin Gate.”
He’s ridden the wave with Cardon Merger, who he’s raced since age two and who broke through for his first metropolitan success on January 28 when winning the Cogs Services Rising Stars Pace, paying $42.80, on Victoria Cup night.
After he tired in the final on A. G. Hunter Cup night, Harpley freshened his veteran until Sunday’s St Arnaud Cup and was repaid for his patience when the $45-shot produced a bottling run down the sprint lane in driver Greg Sugars’ hands.
“It was a good drive,” Harpley said. “He’s won a lot leading, but because of a few problems he’s had he’s not quite the leader he once was.
“I have been working on increasing his speed when he has had the sit and it was great to see that pay off.”
Those past two victories have plonked $16,100 into Cardon Merger’s total stakes, drawing him closer to the $100,000 mark.
“He’s had a few problems and to win his M0 was good and then to win the cup was a great result,” Harpley said. “For a little stable like mine to win, I’m very happy.
“The owners were pretty happy, he was their first horse so they’ve got very lucky with this one. He will go on to the Wangaratta and Boort cups now.”
A further two victories would put Cardon Merger right at the pointy end of the Trots Country Cups Championship, which for the first time carries a $25,000 prize with $15,000 going to the owners and $10,000 to the trainer.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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