American Ideal @ Woodlands Breeders Crown Series 17 (2YO colts & geldings) Final (Group 1)
Winner: Follow The Stars (7)
Trainer: Mark Purdon; Driver: Mark Purdon
Race Distance: 2,240 metres Mile Rate: 1.56.7
photography: Stuart McCormick
By Cody Winnell
Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen’s All-Stars stable has dominated today’s TAB Breeders Crown heats at Tabcorp Park Menangle.
The power duo took four runners into heats and walked away with four wins, brilliant two-year-old gelding Our Waikiki Beach – now unbeaten in 10 starts – providing the highlight by setting a new Australasian 2YO record at 2300 metres in rating 1:56.3 – smashing the previous mark by a full second.
“They all looked great,” Natalie Rasmussen said from Queensland where she’d watched the action.
“Mark will be thrilled with the whole team.”
Purdon drove all four winners, each starting long odds-on with bookmakers and on the tote.
Our Classical Art (Mach Three/Art Lover) took the three-year-old fillies’ heat in 1:58.4 by 2.7m over reigning Breeders Crown champ Katy Perry.
Having trailed leader Katy Perry, now in the care of Shane Tritton, throughout Purdon took Our Classical Art to the lead inside the final 50m after spotting her about a length at the 150m.
Unbeaten Bettors Delight/Splendid Dreams youngster Our Dream About Me then won the two-year-old fillies heat as a $1.04 favourite.
Crossed early by Dancing With Miley (who finished third), Purdon quickly took Our Dream About me away from the pegs after drawing the pole and ran to the front.
Our Dream About Me, the Harness Jewels 2YO winner at Ashburton in May in record time, rated 1:57.4 today to defeat Hot Shot Woman by 7m.
Follow The Stars then made light work of a four-horse three-year-old colts and geldings’ field in his heat, defeating Hes Lightfingered by 3.1m in 1:57.3.
While such dominance as we saw today in the heats is a formidable achievement and will give the Purdon camp confidence going into the semis, the fact Rasmussen believes: “The run will improve all of them”, is a scary thought for rivals.
The second of the three-year-old colts and geldings’ heats today was won by John McCarthy-trained Kilcullen (Christian Cullen/Belligerent) in 1:59.3 by 4.4m over Pompidou.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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