By Michael Guerin
Barry Purdon has no idea what is behind Jack’s Legend renaissance but he is keen to see if it can extend all the way to a Easter Cup.
So the most in-form pacer in the country will spearhead a stable assault on Addington in coming weeks as Purdon aims at premier racing there on two separate occasions in the next few months.
Jack’s Legend made it four open class wins on end in the City Of Auckland Free-For-All at Alexandra Park last Friday and it was the style in which he achieved the victory that filled Purdon was satisfaction.
“I thought he would go well because he has been in such good form but to it parked and win in that grade is a big performance,” says Purdon.
“There were some good horses in that field and sitting parked has never really been his go but as he had gotten older maybe he is just knuckling down more. They don’t often sit parked to win good races at Alexandra Park.”
While Purdon is full of praise for how new driver Scott Phelan has been handling Jack’s Legend he was just as happy with how regular pilot Zac Butcher had been, so he says the improvement in the five-year-old can’t be put down to that, as good as job as Phelan as done
“He seems to have gotten his confidence back but really there isn’t one reason for it.
“But he is a happy horse so he has earned a trip to Addington.”
Jack’s Legend has of course been to Addington plenty of times before and split Lazarus and Tiger Tara, no mean feat, when finishing second in the New Zealand Cup 17 months ago.
He will return for the Four and Five-Year-Old Superstars on March 29 before the Easter Cup a week later.
“He will head down there with Supreme Dominator, who is going down for the Derby.
“Then Jack’s Legend might even come home and have another race before the end of the season because those $25,000 stakes at Alexandra Park are so good.”
Purdon is proud to see his home track boosting stakes to record levels but that won’t be his sole focus for the rest of the season.
“After the Easter Cup meeting we will be looking south later in the season with Belle Of Montana and Havtime for the Nevele R and the Oaks and then maybe the Jewels, as we could have some other horses for that month of racing too.”
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