Racing: Punters can build bank by supporting Purdon

Auckland Reactor and trainer-driver Mark Purdon. Photo / Paul Estcourt

If you are looking for a driver to follow at Addington today it is Mark Purdon, because most of his rivals will be doing exactly that.

Purdon will be represented by a team of stars on harness racing's biggest day, lining up four hot favourites.

Two of them, Auckland Reactor and Kotare Mach, are expected to lead throughout in the day's two major pacing support races to the New Zealand Cup, in which, remarkably, Purdon doesn't have a runner.

While most drivers like to go into a big race with at least some sort of Plan B, Purdon thinks he won't need one with Auckland Reactor and Kotare Mach.

Both are naturally free-going sons of Mach Three and Purdon thinks they will simply win.

"I'll be shocked if Reactor doesn't win," said Purdon.

"He has the draw. I'll be taking him to the front and he felt great at the trials last week so he should be too good."

Auckland Reactor is missing from the cup because of his standing start manners and will use today's race as a lead-up to Friday's New Zealand Free-For-All, a double he completed last season.

While Auckland Reactor could be as short as $1.05 on the fixed odds, Kotare Mach should squeeze out to around $1.50 in the Sires' Stakes Final.

And that may even be worth including in multi bets as he looks way too good for his rivals.

He was freakish pacing a 1:53 national record mile beating older rivals by 11 lengths last start and is drawn to race straight to the lead.

"He has the right draw and has come through Ashburton well," said Purdon.

So how good is Kotare Mach?

"He isn't as tough as Auckland Reactor at the same stage but he is as fast."

Northerners River Field and Gomeo Romeo look great trifecta hopes from the draws in the Sires' Stakes, a race in which Sir Lincoln could have been the biggest threat but for a poor draw.

Purdon is almost as confident of winning race three with Highview Tommy, who smashed the Forbury Park track record for 3200m last start.

"He will be in the cup next season so he will be hard to beat, too."

Purdon faces a trickier driving assignment with Sleepy Tripp in race nine in which he starts from one on the second line.

With luck the Derby winner should prevail but punters should be wary about taking really short odds. Michael Guerin