Racing: Purdon confident speedy Kotare Mach will settle

Kotare Mach has got the draw to win tonight's Northern Stakes at Alexandra Park but that is not the draw trainer Mark Purdon wanted.

The speed freak is drawn to try for an all-the-way win in the 3-year-old feature, especially with Sir Lincoln and Smiling Shard, drawn wide.

If he races up to his best form, and, more importantly, doesn't pull like a lunatic mid-race, Kotare Mach should make the most of his early advantage.

But Purdon would have preferred to try something different. "I can see it being a good draw and he will be the one to beat but I wouldn't have minded drawing wide so I could go back and drive him in the field."

That desire stems from Kotare Mach's two biggest defeats, both in Sires' Stakes Finals, when he over-raced in spectacular fashion.

The latest one cost punters a fortune at Addington last month, although Purdon says he isn't expecting a repeat tonight.

"I don't think the false start helped that day and he had been pulling pretty hard in his work on occasion leading up to that.

"But since that race he has trialled well in behind and I think his manners should be all right.

"So from the draw he will probably end up in front again."

Purdon was toying with putting last Friday's stunning winner Russley Rascal in the same race but he will now start in race one instead.

Purdon has a stunning array of talent on show, with Lancome (race three) and Sleepy Tripp (race four) the next best, though he has big names like Pocaro (race two) and Highview Tommy (race six) also entered,

"Lancome's two wins this season have been good but she is up against some great fillies so the draw and luck in the running will be crucial there."

Sleepy Tripp drops back in grade after a luckless seventh in the Franklin Cup last start and should bounce back but Purdon is not so confident with Highview Tommy.

"He has a tough draw against Changeover and this is his first start in open class so it will be a hard one for him."