Latest news with #PrideOfPetite
NZ Herald
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Miracle Mark faces his greatest Inter Dominion test tonight
Think what you were doing 34 years ago. That is how long Purdon has been winning Inter Dominions. Purdon trained the trotting series winner three years in a row between 1996 and 1998 with Pride Of Petite twice and Buster Hanover once, Pride Of Petite's second win in Adelaide one of the most freakish performances in the history of the Inter Dominions. I Can Doosit went back-to-back in the Trotters Final for Purdon in 2011-12, while he trained Smolda to come from last to win at Gloucester Park (another miracle) in 2016 before Lazarus beat the Aussies up in the final at the same venue the next year. In 2019, Purdon doubled down, winning both the Pacing and Trotting Finals with Ultimate Sniper and Winterfell. So if anybody can cajole a tricky trotter into winning tonight, it is Purdon. But even he admits Oscar Bonavena has him flummoxed, as Oscar, like many humans, gets more eccentric with age. 'Before last week's heat, he was trotting beautifully at home and I thought he'd win,' says Purdon. 'So to see him trot that badly early stunned me. 'Maybe it is just him being cunning as he has got older and he does serve [impregnate] mares as well as racing and maybe that hasn't helped his concentration. 'I have no doubts he could win on his best behaviour, but he has let me down too many times this last year to totally trust him.' Oscar Bonavena may be suited by drawing the unruly (second line) tonight in the hope his rivals go hard, struggle with the long distance, and he can swoop late. That is probably how he is most potent, but also a very rare path to winning a major harness race these days. Bet N Win is therefore the more logical of the two Kiwi hopes, unbeaten in the heats with perfect manners and driver Bob Butt in form. While New Zealand had no reps in the A$1million Pacing Final (11.10pm NZ time), punters who make it that far into the night will at least get to see a true champion in Leap To Fame, who looks unbeatable on his home track, with Captains Knock the best place bet at $3. New Zealand is also represented by Captains Mistress in the Queensland Oaks and Rubira for the Purdons in the Queensland Derby. ROTORUA INTRIGUE One of the most interesting horses at Arawa Park today has only won one race. But He's Lucid, who resumes in Race 5 today, brings plenty of black type form to his fresh up Rating 75. The Kevin Myers-trained three-year-old finished sixth in both the 2000 Guineas (won by Savaglee) and the Karaka Million Three-Year-Old won by Damask Rose this season. His only career win was in the Group 3 War Decree Stakes, beating black type winners Raziah and Kiwi Skyhawk on a heavy track at Riccarton last October. So clearly he is good enough to win today and the heavy track shouldn't be an issue. But the question is fitness in his first start since February 28. He answered that, at least partially, when he looked forward and not carrying too much belly when finishing second in a strong trial at Foxton a month ago. It would be a very Kevin Myers thing to do to see him come out and win today at a TAB boosted price of $4.60. Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald's Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world's biggest horse racing carnivals.
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Star Australian trotter The Locomotive has a horror barrier in the toughest heat to qualify for the prestigious Elitlopp in Stockholm
Sydney Inter Dominion champion The Locomotive is ready for one of the biggest challenges in harness racing. The Goulburn-based star will have to overcome a horror barrier draw and some of the best trotters in the world to create history in Sweden on Sunday. The Locomotive will start second from the outside (gate seven) in the second of two heats of the world's best trotting race, the iconic Elitlopp at the Solvalla track in Stockholm. His trainer-driver Brad Hewitt is clear on the enormity of the challenge. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'We knew it was always going to be hard, but now he's drawn so wide, it's going to take something incredible from him to qualify for the final,' he said. The Locomotive is the fifth Australian and ninth Australasian trotter to contest the Elitlopp. No Aussie has made the final and the only Kiwi to do so was former champion mare Pride Of Petite when fourth in a heat and sixth in the 1997 final. Most recently, champion Aussie Just Believe loomed as a top four chance on the final bend before striking trouble, galloping and losing all chance in 2023. He later stamped his class with two Group 1 placings in Sweden. The Locomotive will need a top four finish in his heat to qualify for the final run three hours later. He is a $71 shot in the heat. It's the stronger of the two heats as well with boom trotter Borups Victory $2.80 equal favourite ahead of two former Elitlopp winners, Don Fanucci Zet ($2.80) and Hohneck ($4.50). The statistics underline how cruel the draw is for The Locomotive, who has won 23 of 25 starts when he has led and just one of 17 when he hasn't been in front. Loving the videos 🎥 â€' Glenn Holland (@Glenn_B_Holland) May 8, 2025 • 'What else am I going to do?' My Last Hooray no last hurrah for Cleary 'I'm going to be back last, I can't possibly push forward from right out there,' Hewitt said. 'What I will say is, he works well off a sit at home and I haven't had the chance to drive him that way yet. When he hasn't led for me, he's been outside the leader and he won't be there this time. 'I'm hoping he can show all that trademark speed of his at the finish, if we switch him off early and try to weave through them.' Hewitt draws hope from how well The Locomotive has settled in and worked over the past week. 'I don't think I could have him better. It's all come together in time and he's primed. He had that terrific work at Solvalla last week and then I couldn't have been happier with his last serious hit out on Monday,' he said. 'I've got a lot of faith in the horse, but he's never faced a field like this and he's going to need everything to go right. 'At least there's no pressure now. If we could somehow be the first (Aussie) to make the final, it would be amazing.' The Locomotive's heat will be shown on Sky Racing at 11.55pm Sunday.
