By Adam Hamilton
IT is a fair hike from Melbourne to Boort – about 250kms to be precise.
Even Ballarat, where Mark Purdon is camped during this Victorian raid, is a 200km drive to Boort.
But that’s the journey the champion Kiwi horseman made for the first time in his stellar career last Friday.
And it was worth it.
His comeback trotter Prince Fearless showed perfect manners a glimpse of his class to easily win the $25,000 Group 3 Central Victorina Trotting Championship (2612m).
Purdon making the long trip to Boort – an obscure bush town and even more obscure and small track – was a buzz for the Victorian harness industry.
And Prince Fearless’ owners, Glenys and Phil Kennard, made the trip as well.
“When we heard Mark was going, we couldn’t let him do all that driving himself, so we picked him up and took with us,” Glenys said. “It was a big day, but a really enjoyable day out.”
It will be interesting to see now if Purdon throws Prince Fearless back into the big league for the Great Southern Star next Saturday night.
BARRING something weird happening, Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen will have three runners in Saturday week’s $200,000 Group 1 Chariots Of Fire.
Lets Chase The Dream booked his spot with a Cambridge win a few weeks ago and Our Waikiki Beach just scraped in with a fourth in the Paleface Adios Stakes last Saturday night.
That just leaves Lazarus to win this Saturday night’s 4YO Bonanza at Melton to book his spot. He will be about $1.10 to do so.
Prepost markets already have Lazarus about $1.40 to win the Chariots.
Lets Chase The Dream, considered the All Stars’ third-stringer, might have lifted to second elect after opening his Sydney campaign with a scorching 1min49.9sec mile win against moderte rivals at Menangle last Saturday night.
Driver Natalie Rasmussen sat back in a blistering 54.3sec first half then Lets The Chase powered home to win by 3.6m and still run closing splits of 55.6 and 27.4sec.
Our Waikiki Beach is the interesting one. He boasted 23 wins and a second from 24 starts before this season, but has only managed a third, eighth and fourth in three runs back.
That fouirth was a solid effort in last Saturday night’s Paleface Adios and just enough to secure him a Chariots birth.
Shane and Lauren Tritton look the only possible hurdle to the All Stars’ adding this year’s Chariots to their ongoing pillaging of Australasia’s biggest races.
The Trittons have the much-improved Salty Robyn, second favourite in prepost markets, along with the exciting Anything For Love.
It’s great to see Jimmy Rattray booked a start in the Chariots with the improving Dashofluck, who paced a 1min50sec mile for an upset win in the Paleface Adios.
FORMER star Kiwi pacer Hughie Green looks like he is going to have some fun in Australia.
The son of Art Major was beaten, but went like a jet at his first run for new trainer-driver John Cremin when a close second to classy Chariots Of Fire hopeful Three Ways at Ballarat last Friday night.
Three Ways had a cosy run behind the leader and driver Kate Gath escaped a pocket at just the right time, while Hughie Green did all the work outside the leader in blistering times.
Three Ways nabbed victory late by a half-neck in a 1min54.5sec mile rate for 2200m, just 0.1sec outside Ameretto’s track record from August 22, 2015.
Next stop for Three Ways, who has won seven on end, is another date with Lazarus in the 4YO Bonanza at Melton next Saturday night.
Three Ways ran second to Lazarus in last year’s Victoria Derby.
Hughie Green could also step-out at Melton next week, but longer term future is up in Queensland where Cremin is based.
IF YOU have the time, take a look at two-year-old Divine State step-out for his first start at Menangle tomorrow (Tuesday).
Trained by Shane and Lauren Tritton, the son of Tintin In America sparkled winning his only trial at Menangle in a 1min54.6sec mile back on January 3.
“We like him. It’ll be great to take to him to the races for the first time,” Tritton said. “And the draw certainly helps.”
There is a Kiwi connection with Divine State being out of the the Kiwi-bred, unraced Art Major mare Angel Divine.
Divine State has the pole against six rivals in the second race at 3.33pm NZ time.
It’s a big meeting for the Trittons’ with their huge Chariots Of Fire chance Salty Robyn sharpening-up for the February 11 feature in the fifth race tomorrow (Tuesday).
He’s going for 10 wins on and should be too good, but the X-factor is top notch former Kiwi mare Cyclone Kate, who has run way below her best at her past three runs but can improve big time from the pole.
IT has been an inspired move sending classy Kiwi pacer No Doctor Needed to Australia.
The six-year-old made it two wins from as many starts for new trainer Paul Fitzpatrick when he lifted off the canvas after looking beaten in the free-for-all at Menangle lasr Saturday night.
No Doctor Needed posted a sharp 1min50.2sec mile and will now be given his chance to qualifying for the Miracle Mile via one of the two lead-up sprints at Menangle on February 18.
IT is great seeing former high-priced Kiwi import Kiwi Legend finding peak form again in Perth.
The Mike Reed-trained five-year-old led throughout to easily win the $35,000 Lord Mayors Cup (2130m) in a 1min56.9sec mile rate at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
The other star performer on the night was classy mare Major Reality, who won a tactical battle with arch-rival Ideal Alice and simply packed too much speed in the Empress Stakes Prelude (2130m).
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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