"But I think he can. He peaked on his run the last 80m or so last week but he got away on us a bit after Cup week and I think he was a bit fat.
"I am confident he will be better again this week but Republican Party is a very good horse and I just hope there is some early pressure on him, maybe from a horse like Beach Ball."
Akuta has already won a Hannon Memorial and finished fourth in a NZ Cup so has far more runs on the board than Republican Party, but the latter has beaten him the last two times he has been able to lead Akuta. While the Derby looks a two-horse race, which one wins is anything but clear-cut.
The Grand Prix meeting has a Harness Jewels-like feel to it with two open class free-for-alls added in, and the Purdon-Cullen team have a mammoth hand with six favourites.
The star fillies Millwood Nike and True Fantasy are rated the stable's two best winning chances by Purdon while another filly, juvenile trotter High Energy, should win her $100,000 Group 1.
But barrier draws mean Sires' Stakes Final winner Don't Stop Dreaming (second line) will only be second favourite behind stablemate Sherlock (barrier one) in their $100,000 sprint.
"They were as good as each other last start but the draws really aid Sherlock and I also think on his work and recent races he has closed the gap on Don't Stop Dreaming," said Purdon.
"He is a clean-gaited horse so should have the speed to use barrier one and I think he is the one to beat."
Muscle Mountain should be too fast for his open class trotting rivals but the open pace could come down to tactics, with Self Assured the best horse but with the widest draw and there is plenty to like about the $6 fixed odds price of Spankem.
The most open and potentially best race of the day is the NZ Trotting Derby in which the fillies look every bit as good as the boys and a crucial factor will be whether favourite Highgrove behaves and takes up the trail after following out likely leader Hot To Trot.
