By Michael Guerin
It has taken just under eight years for the Purdons to pay Andre Poutama back for the outright Group 1 they cost him.
But they paid that back, this time in full, when Shezsofast won the Caduceus Club Classic at Alexandra Park on Friday night.
The Mark and Nathan Purdon-trained daughter of Vincent led throughout to hold off a brave Lizzie Borden in the Group 1, giving driver Poutama his first full win at the highest level.
He won the Group 1 Rosslands Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park in 2017 with Jo’s Dream but had to share that in a deadheat with Partyon, co-trained by Mark.
As harness racing tends to do, things change and so do staff and now Poutama finds himself driving often for Mark and Nathan and has snared a Group 1 he doesn’t have to share.
Poutama is a good fit for the new northern stable, never scared to take a race by the scruff of the neck and show initiative but you still need the horse to do it and Shezsofast was good on Friday, even though the runner-up was just as brave.
The winner is part-owned by thoroughbred training legend Jim Gibbs and his wife Ann, who have dived deep into the harness racing pool over the last decade or more.
“They love it and have become good friends,” said Mark.
“Jim is so knowledgeable so it is great to get a win like this for them and the other owners. It is a real thrill.”
While Shezsofast showed the benefits of being in front in major races they were backed up again by Sooner The Bettor in the IRT Spring Cup, albeit after a few nervy moments.
The wonderful sprinter defended his title from last season but had to overcome an early bobble before driver Harrison Orange let him roll to the lead.
As well as that all worked out Sooner The Bettor looked likely to be a sitting duck a lap from home as favourite Merlin had secured the one-one from his 20m mark and was set to pounce.
But Orange showed he has learned from his first-up win on Sooner The Bettor, knowing to keep him running on tight lines this time and not let his rivals get too close and those tactics proved the winning of the race.
He paced his last 800m in 56.2 second and final 400m in 27.8 to hold out The Surfer by a neck with Merlin a good third but yet another favourite to fall victim to the early season curse of the backmarkers.
Merlin will of course improve and heads to the Holmes D G on October 3 next and then south to contest the Canterbury Classic on October 17, an earlier than anticipated start to his southern campaign.
The Purdon/Phelan stable had a great night with three wins, including War Chief in his Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes heat while Arna Donnelly trained two and had every reason to be happy with her open class horses in the Spring Cup.
But one of the wins of the night came from intermediate grade trotter Westar Milly, who flew home making up two lengths in the last 100m to give trainers Derek and Neita Balle a double in around 24 hours after Conrad H won at Cambridge on Thursday.
