 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1996
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| Owners Bill Kitcher & Geoff Hutchison with The Court Owl |
Mark Purdon won the $125,000 Smokefree New Zealand Derby, but not with the horse most expected. After Sharp And Telford had dominated the first two legs of the Triple Crown series, there was some doubt whether stablemate The Court Owl could pick himself up sufficiently to make a race of it in the Derby. Purdon was one who held that opinion. "I thought he was below his best on the first two nights," said Purdon. "And I said to Bill (part-owner Bill Kircher) that he may be feeling the effects of his racing," he said.
However, there was no evidence of any dullness on the track, as The Court Owl stole the show after an enterprising drive by Purdon, notably at the 1400 metres when he swooped forward during a slow patch of the race to take the lead off Sharp And Telford. "He is a good stayer and I like to drive him like one," said Purdon. "He felt keen once I got him to the front," he said. Sharp And Telford, who might have been feeling the effects of a kick on the off side knee delivered by The Court Owl during the week, did not take the final turn with complete comfort, and by then Purdon had made the most of it and skipped well clear. "I knew if I waited at the corner, he would gobble me up," said Purdon. As it turned out, Sharp And Telford cut the deficit down attractively, but never with any hope of swapping second for first.
Mon Poppy Day, the West Autralian colt, made ground late for third, ahead of Captain Rufus and Bionic Fella, who outclassed the others. Mon Poppy Day, who failed to settle during his stay, will meet The Court Owl next in the New South Wales Derby, where trainer Rod Chambers expects him to be more competitive. As Purdon is likely to stay in Auckland and drive at the Premier meeting there, Darren Hancock will be the likely driver of The Court Owl at Harold Park. Captain Rufus is another likely to head to Australia, with the Queensland Derby as his mission. Ken Tarrant's Carterton colt performed with great credit considering his travelling arrangements did not assist his preparation.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in the NZHR Weekly