NZ HARNESS NEWS
Brilliant filly Princess Tiffany rounded off an unbeaten juvenile season with a sensational Group 1 win at the Australasian Breeders Crown meeting in Melbourne on Saturday night.
It took her record to a perfect nine wins from nine starts, including three Group 1 races and a Group 2.
Factor in that she won one of those with a hoof punctured by a nail that put her on the sidelines and it makes for a quite remarkable season.
She was a short-priced favourite for the A$290,000 Final at Melton but had to do it the hard way, sitting parked for co-trainer Mark Purdon outside local star Kualoa for most of the race, including a searing 27-second quarter down the back straight the last time.
Purdon was full of praise for the daughter of Art Major, saying she didn’t race that generously throughout, so to win was a big effort.
“She was very courageous and full credit to her,” he said post-race.
“She took quite a bit out of herself over-racing, which surprised me a bit.
“Down the back I just let her roll, so we got down the back pretty good.
“We were both off the bit at the quarter, but it was just survival of the fittest.”
Princess Tiffany is raced on lease by her breeders, Braeden and Caroline Whitelock (Palmerston North), in partnership with friends Phil and Margaret Creighton (Mosgiel).
The group have all been with Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen for many years.
“A good group of owners who have been with me a long time, so it gives you a great pleasure when you win for them races like this,” said Purdon.
Princess Tiffany will soon be crowned New Zealand 2YO Filly of the Year and, combined with the feats of fellow Group 1 winner last season Kayla Marie, the Whitelocks will be in the thick end of discussions for Breeders of the Year.
For Purdon and Rasmussen, it was their third win in the race after taking the 2015 edition with Dream About Me and 2016’s with Partyon, both fillies also ending their juvenile campaigns unbeaten.
- NZ Harness News
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