By Michael Guerin
A feature-race quinella would usually be a nice confidence booster for the approaching new season.
But champion trainer Barry Purdon realises the pair who pulled that off for him at Alexandra Park on Friday night may not be around all that much next term.
The stable’s beautifully-bred mares Aliante and Arden’s Choice were the clear two stars out of the main handicap pace, the race won at the start as Aliante began well while Arden’s Choice blew the start, as Purdon suggested she might on hrnz.co.nz.
Aliante was then beautifully driven by Zac Butcher and had the race won before the home turn, while Ardens Choice’s recovery for second was huge considering she is still only a three-year-old filly.
Both are owned by their breeders, Aliante by Charles Roberts and Arden’s Choice in part by John Stiven and Purdon wouldn’t be surprised to see them both head to the broodmare’s paddock later this year.
“I don’t think any decision will be made on Aliante until around November when they can see how she is racing,” says Purdon.
“She has been going some top races and had some really good premier night placings recently so the drop in class here suited her.
“I suppose the question will be how she is racing going into the summer and whether she is going to be competitive going into the best mares races.
“That might decide whether she presses on, while I wouldn’t be surprised if Arden’s Choice went to the broodmare’s paddock.”
It would be hard to argue with that logic as Aliante is from New Zealand’s hottest family, being a sister to Dream About Me and a half sister to Christen Me and Hands Christian.
As well as she is racing, is she sticks around over the summer she faces the prospect of taking on not only her own sister in races like the Queen of Hearts, but The Orange Agent, Piccadilly Princess, Golden Goddess and her own high class stablemate Start Dreaming
Friday’s quinella took Purdon to 33 wins for the season in New Zealand, equal with his tally from last season and that was without one-time stable star Sky Major being able to win a race, something that would have seemed incredibly unlikely starting the term.
The other highlight of the night was the continued emergence of Sunset Peak, who made it four wins from seven starts in the main trot.
She has been a revelation since coming north to join John and David Butcher and while the intermediate trot grade is not strong, she is trotting a good horse’s times and she did beat former Rowe Cup fourth placegetter Cool Cobber on Friday.
In doing so she trotted her last 800m effortlessly in 57.6 seconds and she is on her way to open class.
She wasn’t the only four-year-old trotting mare with a future on show, with debutante Inkyroe living up to the hype in the last race.
The Dave and Clare McGowan trained mare was faultless in the manners department and cruised to a six length win in a sharp 3:35 for the 2700m stand, confirming her stable’s huge opinion of her.
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