Racing: Purdon filly to defy 'silly season'

Trainer Mark Purdon isn't concerned about the "filly silly season" claiming Joyfuljoy at Addington today.

The leggy pacer goes into the $150,000 Nevele R Fillies Final as a surprise fixed-odds favourite, having supplanted arch-rival Lauraella in that role.

But both fillies have a seasonal hoodoo to overcome, with autumn becoming something of a horror time for our best 3-year-old fillies in recent years.

Great fillies like One Dream, Lizzie Maguire and Foreal have ended the summer looking unbeatable in the last few years only to suffer shock defeats in the Addington features, or in the case of One Dream, the Harness Jewels two weeks later.

The reasons appear simple enough - the best fillies race harder and travel long distances throughout the summer and are often left tired and vulnerable to emerging stars later in the season.

Signs of mental wear and tear started to appear in Joyfuljoy in her last two starts, when she pulled very hard and tailed off in the New Zealand Derby before hanging when beating her own sex last time.

Purdon admits the travel schedule hasn't helped.

"Before she went to Alexandra Park to race she was a perfect filly to drive but up there she raced with a pole on and now she has come back and tried to hang in because she is used to the pole.

"I have put a rein pricker on her to help with that and I think she will be all right this week."

Purdon agrees today's sprint is Joyfuljoy's best chance to beat Lauraella this year, with the former having barrier three while Lauarella has to start from the second line.

"I'd like to see her in front and staying there," said Purdon."She's working well and she has to be a great chance."

Lauraella has looked stronger than Joyfuljoy so far this season but has had an easy last six weeks, with trainer Geoff Small mindful she still has a long season ahead.

"She is working well but it will be hard from the draw," said Small.

"Still, if any filly can overcome it it would be her because she is very tough."

The pair's clash headlines a massive meeting at Addington, with the richest race the $300,000 Wrightson Sales Series Pace.

Five Star Anvil has opened the shock fixed-odds favourite, even though he has the best draw of the favoured runners and the gate speed to use it.

She should burst to the rails and then in-form driver Mark Jones gets the choice of staying in front or trailing, either of those options providing a handy advantage over the second-line horses.

Smiling Shard's draw means he is over the odds at $5 while Courage To Rule looks the best each-way bet as his last two wins have been very strong.

One factor to consider today is the weather forecast for Canterbury, which suggests a wet track is possible.

While a wet track in harness racing is not as dramatic as in galloping, Addington can become far more of a swooper's track in really wet days, with the passing lane often getting very sticky.

Horses likely to be suited in the wet include Loch Nagar (race one), Live The Dream (race two) Monkey King (race four); Courage To Rule (race seven) and J D Fortune (race eight).

Regardless of the weather, the best bet should be northern filly Honey Rose Falcon, who has the gate speed to use the ace in race 11.

DAYTIME DELIGHT
* Today's Addington daytime meeting brings together many of the country's best young pacers.
* The juveniles race for $300,000, the best fillies for $150,000.
* Joyfuljoy has her best chance to beat arch rival Lauraella this season.
* Smiling Shard and Courage To Rule look the value horses in the Sales Series Pace.