By Michael Guerin
Akuta is on a hiding to nothing in homecoming at Addington tonight.
But trainer-driver Mark Purdon says he won’t be the one piling the pressure on his exceptional pacer.
The former Auckland Cup winner has returned to Canterbury, where he was born and trained for most of his career, to start his run at the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup on November 11.
That next step is in the $40,000 Avon City Ford New Brighton Cup tonight and after returning to winning form last start and then drawing barrier 1 for tonight’s 2600m standing start, Akuta opened odds-on with the TAB bookies.
That is understandable. He is, after all, a millionaire pacer and if he returns to the absolute best form he showed before a career-threatening injury last year you could make a case Akuta would be the most talented horse in the country.
Purdon doesn’t disagree. He just isn’t sure THAT Akuta will be at Addington tonight.
“He has done really well since he came back and we are thrilled how sound he has been,” he says.
“But he is still working his way back to his peak fitness and he isn’t there yet.
“He can win but I’m a touch worried if they go really hard over 2600m he could be found just a bit short of fitness.”
Another slight concern for punters who see Akuta, Purdon and barrier 1 and think “good thing” is it would be a shock to see the muscular pacer try to lead throughout as it is a quick front line and it has been a long time since he as put under any pressure in a standing start race.
Purdon admits he wouldn’t be stunned, or worried, if Akuta ends up three back on the markers.
In some ways that could be the best thing at this stage of his comeback and with an economical trip he could still blast past rivals who simply aren’t as good as him.
But those taking the $2 fixed odds quote won’t feel all that comfortable if he has four or five rivals ahead of him starting the last 800m.
Summary: If he leads or trails on an average speed Akuta probably wins.
If he gets further back and either Alta Meteor or We Walk By Faith get an easier run then they could outsprint him.
Purdon and training partner/son Nathan have taken six horses south for the spring with more to possibly join the team later in the region they trained in for more than half Mark’s career.
Purdon remarkably hasn’t driven a winner at Addington since Oscar Bonavena won the NZ Trotting Free-For-All in December 2023 and he will be back behind Oscar in tonight’s ITM Ordeal Trotting Cup.
He and arch rival Muscle Mountain both start off a 10m handicap and while they are probably past their best the only real threat to emerge to them, Bet N Win, isn’t starting tonight so one of the old boys should win.
“Oscar trialed well last week, I let him have his head as he needed a blowout and he has worked well this week,” says Purdon.
“I was impressed with how Muscle Mountain won last start though so he will be hard to beat. It might come down to luck in the running.”
Confessional could be the blowout chance of the front markers.
The stable also have Rubira fresh up after winning the Queensland Derby in July in a sharp three-year-old race tonight and while he has barrier 9 over the 1980m Purdon says he can still win.
“He is getting better all the time and has turned into a really good three-year-old.”
He is up against the very in-form pair of Bar Louie and Always Dreaming as well as the returning Got The Chocolates.
Earlier in the star-studded 13-race programme Treacherous Baby (R6, No.6) takes on the boys in a strong Rating 60-70 with Purdon warning she has missed some work since her last win so could be vulnerable.