Racing: Purdon unveils potential NZ Cup winner

Sleepy Tripp showed he is a force to reckon with by winning the Easter Cup at Addington on Saturday night. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Sleepy Tripp has stepped into some very big horseshoes with his win in the $80,000 Easter Cup at Addington on Saturday night.

But he might just be good enough to fill them.

The 4-year-old became just the second pacer in 30 years to complete the New Zealand Derby-Easter Cup double, after having won the classic a year earlier.

While the two great Addington races would seem a natural double for top horses - being two of the only three elite staying tests on the Christchurch track - only one other horse has achieved the double in the modern harness racing era.

And that was pacing great Master Musician in 1996, and even then he had to wait until he was an 8-year-old to win the Easter Cup, five years after his Derby triumph.

Even more surprising is that Sleepy Tripp has hardly starred between his two great victories, hitting a flat patch over the northern summer when he struggled with the sheer speed of arch-rival Tintin In America.

But back to his best and returning to staying races, he looked a potential New Zealand Cup winner in the making as he downed Bettor's Strike and Baileys Dream.

It would be easy to think he did so with the aid of a 15m start in the handicaps but Sleepy Tripp actually missed away and settled at the rear of the field with the open-class stars.

He then looped the field to get the one-one on the back of Bettor's Strike before wearing him down. While the runner-up was the run of the race, Sleepy Tripp has at least proven he is back to his best in time for a rich North Island treble in the next two months.

He will come north for the Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park on April 30, the Messenger a week later and the Harness Jewels at Cambridge on June 5.

He will spearhead a stunning assault on the age group races for trainer Mark Purdon in the next two months, one which should again carry him past the $3 million in stakes.

Purdon's stable reps have won just under $2 million so far this season, meaning he is some way off the $3.4 million won last season, although that was greatly boosted by over $1 million from Auckland Reactor.

He has a shot at that amount as he has the favourites in just about every age group race in the next two months. Collectable and Major Mark dominate their 2-year-old pacing divisions, while Purdon has two of the biggest names in the 3-year-old male ranks in Russley Rascal and Kotare Mach.

RARE DOUBLE

* Sleepy Tripp adds the Easter Cup to his New Zealand Derby win.
* Master Musician is the only other pacer in the past 30 years to claim that double.
* Sleepy Tripp heads a massive team heading north for trainer Mark Purdon.
* Purdon has 17 horses in line for a start at the Harness Jewels.