BLAST FROM THE PAST
2005 NZ 2YO NZ TROTTING STAKES - Won by Galleon's Assassin
 Surprisingly, Mark Purdon is only training one trotter. But it is a good one, and he proved that in no uncertain terms when winning last Friday night's $25,000 Group 2 NRM NZ Two-year-old Trotting Stakes at Addington.
Galleons Assassin was registering the first victory of his four start career last week, but a simple glance at his bloodlines hints that there is a lot more in store. He is an Earl gelding out of the Chiola Hanover mare Rob The Nest, who has taken her career to even greater heights than her six wins on the track by leaving one good horse after another.
All bred by either Neil Munro or Gary Allen singularly or in partnership, Rob The Nest's foals of racing age are: Sonofthedon, a Sundon gelding who recorded seven wins and four seconds from his 11 starts and looked a superstar in the making before injury brought about his demise; Thedonsson, a full-brother who has raced 28 times for six wins, seven placings and nearly $97,000 in earnings thus far; Charlotte Galleon, yet another Sundon, qualified and lightly-raced with only four starts to date; Whosinthenest, a 3-year-old Armbro Invasion filly who has been placed from the same amount of appearances; and now Galleons Assassin.
"I think everyone's forgotten about me with trotters," quipped Purdon, on his return to the stabling area last week. The Yalhurst trainer specifically went to last year's PGG Premier Yearling Sale with the intention of taking home a trotter, and top of the shopping list was Galleons Assassin. "Yes, he is the one I picked out; I liked him on type," Purdon said. "What the mare had already left spoke for itself - Earl was the only factor we didn't know anything about." Family friend Fred Tong was keen on the idea too, and when he asked Purdon what he thought they would have to pay the answer was "up to thirty-five"; he was spot on, for $35,000 was exactly what the yearling was knocked down to them at.
"Mark Smolenski broke him in for us and he was nothing special, just one of the pack. But every time he has gone off the place he has just improved that much. He is very solid, but I think his attitude would be his biggest asset. And he is a bit better-sized compared to Sonofthedon and The donsson, because they were both big horses."
Additional things that Purdon tried with Galleons Assassin include a course of Altitude Training and regular trips to the beach, both of which have aided the gelding's development. "He is one of the few that I take to the beach," he said. "Early on he was a bit inclined to touch or hitch in behind, that is why I knew the straight-line work would help him. He doesn't need to now though, because he is fool-proof."
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 1Jun05
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