By MICHAEL GUERIN
The pecking order of New Zealand 3-year-olds changed yesterday without a race being run.
That is because after an effortless Alexandra Park workout, Falcon's Blue Jean is now rated trainer Mark Purdon's best chance of winning the Victoria Derby.
Falcon's Blue Jean flew out to Melbourne last night with six stablemates, including fellow 3-year-old Cool Hand Luke.
Until yesterday Purdon had rated Cool Hand Luke the better of his hopes for the Victoria Derby, the heats of which are at Moonee Valley on Saturday with the $A100,000 classic a week later.
"The way Falcon's Blue Jean has improved I would have to rate him my best chance of winning the Derby now," said Purdon.
"He has got a lot better in the last month and his work this morning was great.
"He only covered 2400m in 3:10, his final 800 in 58 seconds but it was the way he did it. He felt like he was pacing 3:16 he was going so easily."
Falcon's Blue Jean had a huge Auckland Cup carnival, running second to Stars And Stripes in the Great Northern Derby before turning the tables in the Sales Series Pace.
But it was Cool Hand Luke who went into that carnival rated not only Purdon's best 3-year-old but the big challenger to Stars And Stripes as New Zealand's leading classic cropper.
However, Cool Hand Luke was out of luck in the Derby after being parked on a hot pace, having also been beaten in a lead-up race by Stars And Stripes. While those defeats dented his reputation he returned to win at the Alexandra Park workouts on Saturday.
"Cool Hand Luke is a good horse but at the moment he could be going through a developing stage. Either that or he is being lazy and knocking off when he gets to the front.
"But he has got a touch of class and they are both realistic Derby hopes."
Purdon's pair make up half the New Zealand assault on the Derby, joined by London Express and early favourite Stars And Stripes.
The latter has been in the care of Barry Purdon for the last 12 days until driver Ken Barron heads to Melbourne later this week.
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Joining Falcon's Blue Jean on last night's plane were Mark Purdon's five trotters after Sunny Action performed well enough in a Pukekohe workout on Sunday to confirm her place.
"She is still not trotting perfectly left-handed but at least she trotted perfectly in the straights," said Purdon.
"She didn't do that at Cambridge last Monday so I think she is getting better that way around."
Sunny Action's ranking means she can bypass trotting's big guns in the Dullard Cup on Saturday and contest a $A50,000 easier heat.
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Lyell Creek has firmed back to $1.90 for the Trotters series after support yesterday.
The southern sensation drifted slightly to $2 after Mountain Gold's winning Moonee Valley debut on Saturday but a $4000 bet yesterday took him below even money.
The TAB is holding only $12,000 on the trotting series and $35,000 on the pacers but expect interest to surge in the next week.
"Once the series starts we are expecting interest to really kick up," said TAB bookmaker Kevin Gutschlag.
"I think some people still don't understand how the series works, with the double points for the Hunter and Victoria Cups but with all the great horses we know people will want to be backing their personal favourites."
Racing: Falcon's Blue Jean top hope in Victoria Derby
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