Racing: Follow The Stars caps off stellar season for top training couple

Follow The Stars capped off a great season for trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen by winning at Melton yesterday. Photo / Stuart McCormick

Mark Purdon capped one of the greatest seasons in New Zealand training history with a stellar Breeders Crown Day yesterday.

New Zealand's champion trainer produced two of the rich winners in My Arya and Follow The Stars, the latter leading home stablemate Kept Under Wraps in the A$297,000 2-year-old male pace.

That headed a Kiwi-trained trifecta, with My Field Marshall third, the second of the day for New Zealand after Katy Perry, Joanne's A Delight and Cyclone Kate trifectaed the equally rich juvenile fillies' pace.

But as good as the New Zealanders were, what Purdon and training partner Natalie Rasmussen have achieved in the past year is mind-boggling.

Yesterday's win counts as part of last season because, for some truly bizarre reason, the Australian standardbred season doesn't end until next week.

But from last September to yesterday they have had one of the most profitable seasons ever by New Zealand trainers.

Not only did their horses win over $3 million in New Zealand, without a standout open-class pacer or trotter, but they also won over $700,000 in Australia, which means when the stakes are converted they have gone close to $4 million.

Just as impressive has been the number of group one winners they have been able to produce, with Follow The Stars joined by Hug The Wind, Alta Orlando and Harness Jewels winner Supersonic Miss as juvenile group one or Sales Series winners for the stable.

Follow The Stars is the best of them and his effortless all-the-way win yesterday should have seen him complete an unbeaten debut year but for being knocked over in the Harness Jewels.

As it is he finishes his first term with 10 wins from 11 starts for nearly $500,000 in stakes for a bunch of Purdon's big-spending owners that includes one of racing's most popular characters in Neil Pilcher.

Both the Purdon-Rasmussen training wins came from front-running performances while Purdon put an exclamation mark on the day by driving former stable runner Our Twentyten, now trained by Brent Lilley, to win the 3-year-old trot.

Earlier Katy Perry made the most of a good draw to lead all the way in her final, adding to trainer Cran Dalgety and driver Dexter Dunn's superb record at Melton, where they have won four Breeders Crown Finals, a Victoria and Hunter Cup.

As good as she was runner-up Joanne's A Delight was even better in second after sitting parked while Cyclone Kate came from near last to storm into third.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing for the Kiwis, though, as glamour colt Our Sky Major missed a place in the 3-year-old final.

He was forced to sit parked as arch rival Bling It On cut out a 1:55 mile rate for the 2240m, making Our Sky Major's task an impossible one and he faded late into fourth as bolter Major Crocker got up the passing lane to win.