It will be the case of a very long time between drinks for champion New Zealand trainer-reinsman Mark Purdon when he drives outstanding young mare A Piccadilly Princess in the $23,000 McInerney Ford Classic Consolation at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This will be the first time he has driven at Gloucester Park for 7567 days. He last appeared at West Australia’s pacing headquarters when he was in the sulky behind 20/1 chance Ima Villain in the Interdominion Drivers’ Invitational event, a stand over 2900m on March 8, 1996.
Ima Villain finished seventh in a field of 14, with Victorian Chris Alford driving the winner Judicial, who defeated Helluva Time, handled by WA’s Chris Lewis.
The only previous time the 52-year-old Purdon had travelled from New Zealand to WA was in 1986 when he had about four unsuccessful drives at Gloucester Park and Northam in a junior drivers’ series. This is the first time he has been in WA since 1996. He has driven more than a hundred group 1 winners and has been a dominant force in New Zealand for several years and has also been successful in many races in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.
He has high hopes that A Piccadilly Princess will give him his first driving success in WA. His only previous starter as a trainer in WA was with Lets Chase The Dream, who was driven by Lewis when he won a prelude of the WA Derby last April and then finished second to Chicago Bull in the final of the classic.
Lewis stands in the path of Purdon winning the McInerney consolation on Friday night. He will drive the speedy frontrunner Johnny Disco, who has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier. Johnny Disco, a winner at nine of his 22 starts, should be close to his peak at his third outing after a spell for Pinjarra trainer Ross Ashby.
In a strong field, several runners have sound prospects. They include champion trainer Gary Hall senior’s Zach Maguire, Overboard Again and Mach Time, Gary Elson’s Ideal Tyson and Sprinter, Michael Brennan’s Nathans Courage and Mista Shark and Annie Belton’s Mister Versace.
Purdon drove his first winner, Dark And Dusty, at Ruakaka on February 1, 1982 and he was inducted into the Interdominion Hall of Fame five years ago. He has been associated with many champions, including Mark Hanover, Young Rufus, Il Vicolo, Auckland Reactor, Adore Me, Follow The Stars , Our Waikiki Beach, Smolda, Have Faith In Me, Dream About Me and Lazarus, the runaway winner of the New Zealand Cup at Addington early this month.
A Piccadilly Princess faces a moment of truth on Friday night as the only mare in the field of 11. She has won at nine of her 19 starts and has earned $337,353.
“She goes pretty good,” Purdon said. “She’s not top-class yet and wouldn’t beat open-class horses. But she did race in the junior Free-For-All on Cup day (November 8). She has won the Jewels (the Diamond for fillies in June), the north island Oaks and the Victoria Oaks.
“We’ve got another filly Dream About Me (a four-year-old with a record of 19 starts for 16 wins, two placings and $796,614) and she’s not in her class. But she’s pretty smart and has a good all-round game.”
Purdon had hoped that A Piccadilly Princess would get a start in the $50,000 Clipsal By Schneider Electric Norms Daughter Classic on Friday night. But despite her outstanding record she is still classified as an M0 performer and the conditions of the race declare that preference in field selection is given to fillies and mares assessed M1 and better.
A victory on Friday night would improve A Piccadilly Princess’s classification to M1 which would make her a certain starter in the $125,000 Mares Classic at Gloucester Park on December 9.
“It’s my fault that she didn’t get a start in the Norms Daughter Classic,” Purdon said. “I didn’t look at the official program close enough. Winning would be a big help on Friday night.”
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
