KEY POINTS:
Mark Purdon is hoping to finally make it back tomorrow to the place he used to call home.
Not his new home, in Canterbury, where he has lived for the past five years since stunning the harness racing community by moving south.
And not his old stables back in Auckland, which now belong to brother-in-law Tony Herlihy.
Purdon is hoping either Mighty Cullen or Classic Cullen can carry him back to a place that feels as much like home as any house he has ever lived in - the winner's circle at Alexandra Park after a big race.
In the five years after his father Roy retired until he moved south, Purdon dominated northern harness racing, with a string of stars headed by Il Vicolo and Pride Of Petite that made winning group one races at Alexandra Park seem almost boring. Almost.
Since moving to Canterbury, Purdon has still been a major force but winning the big ones at his old home track hasn't been quite as easy.
Not only have the northern ranks never been more competitive but Purdon believes the most important woman in racing - Lady Luck - hasn't been faithful to him.
"We definitely haven't had as many big winners up here as we would have liked in the last couple of years," he said.
"Some of it comes down to the horses but most importantly up here these races are so hard to win you can't afford anything to go wrong, as we have had our share of bad luck or just bad draws."
He believes Mighty Cullen gives him the perfect chance to correct that in tomorrow's $70,000 Pak N' Save Franklin Cup.
The gelding is still the most under-rated pacer in the country, even though he has already run fourth in the New Zealand Cup in just a handful of open-class starts.
Purdon believes it is because he is so unspectacular that Mighty Cullen is the horse to beat tomorrow.
"He has such great manners and is usually really good from a standing start so that puts him in a position to win a race like this," he explains.
"I can see him being handy, maybe even in front, and from there you take luck almost out of play."
Purdon warned punters that Mighty Cullen needed the run before the Manukau Cup last week and was spot on as he peaked on his run in third place.
He says that won't be a problem tomorrow.
"He has come through that race really well and is working great so I rate him my best chance."
Purdon also has Classic Cullen in the Cup and says that while he is as good as Mighty Cullen he is not as foolproof.
"He can be a bit iffy at the start but he can win if he does things right.
"So I wouldn't be surprised if he won either."
The pair meet strong opposition in Mr Williams, another who is peaking at the right time, last-start winners Waitfornoone and Napoleon, and Easter Cup winner Baileys Dream.
Mr Williams is the most likely of that quartet to be handy without working too much so looks a great each way chance, although Waitfornoone's improving standing start manners will make her a huge factor in the race.
She was outstanding beating the mares in the Queen Of Hearts last start but this is a step up again, one she is well capable of taking.
Napoleon's form in the last month has been a throwback to his stunning 3-year-old season but he will need to be right up to his best because 3200m is not usually his go.
Still, he has hit the line so strongly over 2700m lately that he must rate with Herlihy in the sulky.
Baileys Dream will be better suited by tomorrow's smaller field and compressed handicaps but may still need a hot pace to be seen at his best.
