How can it be good for Australia to have the NZers come and take all the prizemoney?

[Messenger]

Not even Boort is safe

http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-re...ic#BTC27011707

[Messenger]

The Purdons' have taken pity on Australia/Vic and have no runners in the last 2 at Melton tonight (nor the 3rd race or they would have been looking at driving or training 8 in a row)

http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-re...X280117&ms=vic

[The Escape Club]

The Purdons' have taken pity on Australia/Vic and have no runners in the last 2 at Melton tonight (nor the 3rd race or they would have been looking at driving or training 8 in a row)

http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-re...X280117&ms=vic

His 4 year old, Lets Chase The Dream won the last at Menangle breaking 1.50.

[Fan of Jate]

AS per post 32. I cant work out what the handicapper has done in the group 3 trot race but the kiwi horse was gifted this race due to its 20m handicap, connections must have been laughing their box off even before the race was run and won. Someone may be able to explain it in this forum.

[Showgrounds]

Interesting thread. While jealousy appears rife at the Purdon / Rasmussen success last night demonstrated how superior their horses are - and they as trainers.

The local 3 year-olds are just so-so this year; Motu Meteor is a nice horse but not one I'd rate as a genuine Derby colt in any other season. Jacks Legend started favourite over Vincent at Addington on Show Day - Vincent blew him away! Interesting comment on the TV - whoever it was said Vincent wouldn't have been in the top 5 3yos in the stable at the start of the season. Stupid comment - he won his only start (beating Ultimate Machete easily) before injury put him out. Was to have come here for the Australian Gold. Now is payback time, the Derby looks his to lose.

Lazarus is a bona-fide champion already and he will no doubt be remembered for many decades. At Menangle, the only horse to have beaten him TWICE won going 1:49.9 - Chase the Dream. How he gets assessed as a C3 is beyond me. Then again, the greatest crime a horse can commit in NZ is to be consistent and win races! The handicapping system ensures their careers are brief.

Somebody mentioned previously any trainer could win with Allstars horses. They probably could, just not with consistency and we tend to send our horses around to often. Check out the careers of all the Allstars team and you will see they are sparingly raced, eg, Smolda 64 starts, 50% win rate and rising 9 years! This can't be done without good, patient owners of course. Look at the depth of experience in the sport most of their owners have and you get a feel for what I am on about. No syndicates of 20 drinking mates from the local footy club who just want to see their colours go around. Just plenty of business people not devoid of a dollar and, usually, prior success with good horses.

Then there are the trainers and staff. No mugs allowed, obviously. Their training methods appear highly advanced. Mark has long been known as a perfectionist and Blacks A Fake did not achieve what he did just by going jiggy-joggy for half an our every morning with two hopplings and a day off every week. Nat is a great trainer in her own right and not one to tolerate pussys. A very brave trainer, indeed, one who takes an Allstar cast-off with the intent of improving them.

So, great trainers with incredibly good facilities and staff, plenty of impeccably bred, high quality yearlings coming through every season with cashed-up, patient owners who understand the pain and disappointment that can occur appears to be a large part of the stable's success. The horses always look great and appear fitter than many of their opposition. Any ordinary run appears to be forensically examined and you never hear weak excuses. And some will say luck, I say they make their own.

Good luck to them all, they are enjoying the times of their lives!

[KTQ]

On one of your points, we have horses trained in NZ and they don't not race for lack of trying. there are just NO races for them! we don't want our 2yos racing aged horses. The NZ handicapping system seriously sucks if you have a less than champion horse

[aussiebreno]

Interesting thread. While jealousy appears rife at the Purdon / Rasmussen success last night demonstrated how superior their horses are - and they as trainers.

The local 3 year-olds are just so-so this year; Motu Meteor is a nice horse but not one I'd rate as a genuine Derby colt in any other season. Jacks Legend started favourite over Vincent at Addington on Show Day - Vincent blew him away! Interesting comment on the TV - whoever it was said Vincent wouldn't have been in the top 5 3yos in the stable at the start of the season. Stupid comment - he won his only start (beating Ultimate Machete easily) before injury put him out. Was to have come here for the Australian Gold. Now is payback time, the Derby looks his to lose.

Lazarus is a bona-fide champion already and he will no doubt be remembered for many decades. At Menangle, the only horse to have beaten him TWICE won going 1:49.9 - Chase the Dream. How he gets assessed as a C3 is beyond me. Then again, the greatest crime a horse can commit in NZ is to be consistent and win races! The handicapping system ensures their careers are brief.

Somebody mentioned previously any trainer could win with Allstars horses. They probably could, just not with consistency and we tend to send our horses around to often. Check out the careers of all the Allstars team and you will see they are sparingly raced, eg, Smolda 64 starts, 50% win rate and rising 9 years! This can't be done without good, patient owners of course. Look at the depth of experience in the sport most of their owners have and you get a feel for what I am on about. No syndicates of 20 drinking mates from the local footy club who just want to see their colours go around. Just plenty of business people not devoid of a dollar and, usually, prior success with good horses.

Then there are the trainers and staff. No mugs allowed, obviously. Their training methods appear highly advanced. Mark has long been known as a perfectionist and Blacks A Fake did not achieve what he did just by going jiggy-joggy for half an our every morning with two hopplings and a day off every week. Nat is a great trainer in her own right and not one to tolerate pussys. A very brave trainer, indeed, one who takes an Allstar cast-off with the intent of improving them.

So, great trainers with incredibly good facilities and staff, plenty of impeccably bred, high quality yearlings coming through every season with cashed-up, patient owners who understand the pain and disappointment that can occur appears to be a large part of the stable's success. The horses always look great and appear fitter than many of their opposition. Any ordinary run appears to be forensically examined and you never hear weak excuses. And some will say luck, I say they make their own.

Good luck to them all, they are enjoying the times of their lives!

Agreed - the man is a genius and planned both of Smolda long term injuries.

[trish]

This is from Greg Hayes twitter.


Last 3 seasons Mark Purdon has had 143 starters in Australia. 87 winners and 35 placegetters for $4.75 million in stakes

[Messenger]

That is a 61% win rate, when you consider that there would have been a few times when they had 2+ horses in the same race, I think their success race would be close to 66%
or 2 out of 3 !

And we are pretty much talking about the Listed races!

Makes all the other trainers look like mugs and although a few are local buys (like Vincent) it makes you wonder whether it is worth the risk of having anything other than a NZ horse

[eliteblood]

Makes all the other trainers look like mugs and although a few are local buys (like Vincent) it makes you wonder whether it is worth the risk of having anything other than a NZ horse

I think it is more about the trainer Kevin rather than where the horses are bred. Smolda, Waikiki Beach and Vincent underline that, as does Mark's willingness to buy Australian bred yearlings.
I don't like seeing Australian industry funds being pilfered by Kiwis, but it softens the blow when his owners (quite a few who are Australians in any case) reinvest so strongly at our sales.