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A disappointing trip to Auckland could have sparked the improvement Fiery Falcon needs to win the Woodlands Derby.
The Mark Purdon-Grant Payne trained gelding returns to Alexandra Park tonight after failing to win in four starts there in December.
But Purdon says that trip may be the reason Fiery Falcon is now ready to win a Derby.
"I know he looked a bit disappointing in his last start up there in December but he is a different horse now," he said. "The trip away really helped him and he has also freshened up really well since he came home.
"He feels right at the top of his game at the moment."
Purdon says it may have been his decision to back Fiery Falcon up so closely in December that saw him fail to find the line as his reputation would suggest.
The Ready To Run sales graduate will start from barrier five in tonight's first prelude and Purdon says he will be going forward at the start.
"He has good gate speed and is very fit so I won't be scared to use him."
And that could make for some early fireworks as drawn inside him are fast beginners Rider On The Storm (three) and Themightyquinn (two), both of whom will want to get to the marker pegs as soon as possible. Rider On The Storm has been the awesome improver of the summer, including clocking an all-comers national 2400m mobile record in December.
His driver John Dunn predicted big improvement after his narrow win on his Alexandra Park debut last Friday, suggesting the gelding had suffered a few setbacks after arriving in Auckland. "He can go a lot better than that and another week will be a big help."
If he leads Rider On The Storm has shown he can run incredible times, but he has yet to beat a horse as good as Fiery Falcon so the pair deserve to be a lot closer in the Derby market than they are heading into tonight's heat.
Justa Tiger should be forgiven last week's expensive flop as he galloped when jumping a boot on the track. He is a genuine pacer who can upset.
