 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2010
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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Major Mark did not have long at home to recover after his brave win over his stablemate Le Sol in the Garrard's Sires' Stakes 2-Year-Old Final at Addington last Friday night. He was on the road with Russley Rascal at 6.30am on Sunday morning, stopping overnight at Bulls and joining the Pukekohe team late on Monday. Nine others of the Mark Purdon/Grant Payne team left on Tuesday, where the assignment is the Harness Jewels at Cambridge on Saturday week.
On form and money-won, Major Mark heads the field, but it could be argued he has competition in all other aspects. The Muskeg Express was a nose and a long neck from winning the Final, having made it near impossible to win after breaking soon after the start and settling back. He was at ther back of the bunch at the 800m, and produced a finish from there that was as good as the winner's. His rewards to date are meagre compared with his enormous potential, a last start eighth behind Thumpem which should have been a win, and a brave fourth behind Major Mark the time before.
In any event, this again was not his night, but it was Major Mark's, and he more than made amends for a performance behind Thumpem that was not typical of what he'd done the start before. "He just got on one rein in that race," said Purdon. "I got (vet) Bill Bishop to go over him, and there was really nothing he could find, other than he is growing and developing. It was pretty much an all-round performance, and he must have run his quarter down the back in better than 28.7. It was a tough effort, but he had showed me that in the Young Gun series. From the run he had, I really thought Le Sol should have beaten him, even by half a length. He wasn't stopping, but he was battling near the end."
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HRNZ website
Major Mark got his big win in the Garrards NZ Sires Stakes Final last Friday but much of the post race chat on-course surrounded the deeds of The Muskeg Express.
Major Mark was super-game in edging out his stablemate Le Sol for the victory but the effort of The Muskeg Express to place third after an early break was surely one of the runs of the season.
The race evolved through many changes. After The Muskeg Express’s early mistake that saw him drift back to the rear of the field Thumpem took control of the race, looking towards a rich double. The moves didn’t come until midrace. Ransom Olds was parked and the three-wide line was carried up by Ohoka’s Bondy.
Nothing changed until Major Mark and Mark Purdon lit the fuse down the back straight the last time. In a scintillating burst Major Mark arrived outside Thumpem with 600 metres to run. Anthony Butt and The Muskeg Express had to get going too. Five lengths behind Major Mark but making ground they trudged around the field inside the last 600 metres. Butt well aware that a placing outside of the first five and there was no Harness Jewels start for The Muskeg.
Entering the home straight the Purdon paid sorted themselves out from the rest of the field. Le Sol on the inner, Major Mark out wide. By the barest of margins Major Mark claimed the win. Just a couple of pixels back was Le Sol and a hard charging The Muskeg Express was third.
The drama wasn’t over there though. The Muskeg Express then had to stave off an enquiry into his early break. With stewards satisfied no rules were breached placings were duly authorised.
As little as two weeks ago punters could have got as much as $41 for the Muskeg Express to win the Harness Jewels. Following his blown win in the PGG Wrightson the odds crashed into $8. Following last week’s herculean third $3.50 is all punters can get before the barrier draws come out on Friday.
The Sires Stakes win was Major Mark’s sixth this season and in his career. The $101,200 first prize money took total earnings past $280,000. Friday’s win was Group 1 number two following on the heels of his Welcome Stakes win last month.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 26May2010