| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 1993
 |
| Roy Purdon and Mark Roy |
A 'rough one' put in by Southland star No return cost him dearly in the John Brandon 30 NZ Derby, but in the end the success of Mark Roy was thoroughly deserved.
"He has thrown a shoe at some stage...probably at the start when he went a bit rough," trainer-driver Henry Skinner lamented later. Beaten out of the gate from the pole, No Return, the dominating favourite going for the Triple Crown, settled three back on the fence and never had an opportunity to get out until after they swung for home. While he flew once into the clear, Mark Roy had a winning break and held him out by a short neck. "I would have been quite happy to keep the front, but it didn't work out that way," said Skinner.
It was shade of deja vu for Skinner, who in 1990 won the first two legs with Honkin Vision. Honkin Vision also went into the Derby a hot favourite, but after attempting to lead all the way, the constant attentions of the Purdon-trained runners in The Unicorn, Mark Hanover and Christopher Vance, saw him fade to fifth. Ironically, that event was the only previous occasion Mark Purdon, the successful driver on Saturday, had driven in the race. He drove Mark Roy's half-brother Mark Hanover, the horse he would win the Auckland Inter-Dominion with the following year, into fourth on that occasion.
The Purdons had three runners engaged also this year, with 28-year-old Mark renewing his association with Mark Roy the previous Saturday after seven weeks on the sideline with a broken arm, a legacy of the sales series smash in mid-February. Elder brother Barry again took the reins on Hitchcock, while Tony Herlihy guided Mister Wolf Blass.
Back early from the outside of the second line, Mark Roy was on the move in the middle stages, following Mark Craig around when the tempo increased noticeably passing the mile. Trapped without cover three wide from the 1400m, Mark Roy was still able to dash clear in the run home and had enough in reserve to fend off the late claim of No Return. He paced the mobile 2600m in 3:16.2, last 800m in 58.4 and 400m in 28. "It might have looked like a tough run, but he relaxed nicely out there. It is better to have them that way than fighting you," said Mark.
Mark had been in charge of Diamond Field and Mister Wolf Blass at Jim Dalgety's West Melton property during their stay, with Barry looking after the bulk of the team at Jeff Whittakers. Mark Roy has in recent weeks been troubled by quarter cracks, but the use of bar shoes and constant treatment has enabled him to keep racing. The Derby was his seventh win from 23 starts, and along with 11 placings, took Mark Roy's stakes talley on to $163,000. Like Mark Hanover, Mark Roy is raced by co-trainer Roy Purdon, Robert and Mrs Janet Reid and the Lorna Reid Syndicate. "Robert was down for the first two nights but did not come back for the Derby. He had no luck at all on the earlier nights," Mark said.
For Roy and Barry it was their second Derby in a row, having won the race last year with Kiwi Scooter. Roy watched the race from the public grandstand and would have done so alone had an old friend in Derek Jones not spotted him. "Roy came over and stood beside me when we won the NZ Cup with Hands Down," recalled Jones. "He wasn't going to bother coming down to the birdcage, but I set the pace for him," he added.
Miss Clevedon, whose first three foals are Mark Hanover (US1:53.4, winner of over $700,000 in NZ), Roy's Advice (2:00.3, 2 NZ wins) and Mark Roy, unfortunately died in 1991 after foaling a colt by New York Motoring. In between those foals, the Noodlum mare left a Vance Hanover filly, now three, which has not shown the same ability as her relatives to this stage. She is however the only filly left by the former open class mare. "Mark Hanover was brilliant right from the start, while this fellow has steadily improved all along," said Mark.
Bee Bee Cee, the second of three Southland-trained runners, enjoyed the trail behind Hitchcock and stuck on well for third in a gap of four lengths. He shaded Mark Craig and Franco's Chef, who both battled well after improving in the middle stages.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 15Apr93