The Star: August 17, 2023

The Star Thursday August 17 2023
28
RACING
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Plan to extend unbeaten run
• By Michael Guerin
YOUNG TRAINING star
Nathan Purdon thinks he knows
what the code needs and punters
could do worse than backing his
judgement.
Purdon is in charge of much
of the day-to-day running of the
famous All Stars racing stable he
now shares with father Mark.
The pair have an army of
harness stars,
including two of
New Zealand’s
best pacers in
Self Assured
and Akuta. But
they also have
unbeaten filly
Nathan
Purdon
Millwood Nike
and Purdon says
he wants her to
remain that way
– not just for her owners, which
includes Canterbury rugby
league icon Frank Endacott.
Millwood Nike has won
all 14 career starts, including
five Groups 1s, a Group 2 and
a Group 3, and is currently
strengthening up with a water
walker training regime before
she returns to the stable.
She appears to have the best
three-year-old fillies at her
mercy. It is hard to see any of
those who have been chasing
her around for the last year
improving enough to beat her by
the end of the season, which for
harness racing is December 31.
Her two remaining Group 1
goals for the year are the Nevele
R Fillies Final at Addington on
November 14 and the NZ Oaks
there on December 10. But a
potential problem could be
getting Millwood Nike enough
competitive racing to peak for
them.
She has a rating of 90, which is
almost open class, so if she scares
her filly rivals away in any leadup
races, the Purdons could have
to resort to starting her in open
class races to hone her – a tactic
FAST: Millwood
Nike and driver
Mark Purdon
won the Pascoe
the Jewellers
Northern Oaks at
Alexandra Park
in Auckland in
March.
PHOTOS:
ALEXANDRA
PARK
Below – Former
Canterbury rugby
league coach
Frank Endacott
(right) is among
Millwood Nike’s
owners.
they have used with three-yearold
boys and girls before.
But Purdon says he doesn’t
want to do that and instead
wants to protect Millwood Nike’s
unbeaten record.
“It is not about the money, I
just think it would be great for
the industry if she can keep
winning,” said Purdon.
“People love a big winning
streak and, if she could remain
unbeaten this season and come
back next year with 19 or 20
straight wins next to her name,
it would be something for people
to follow.
“You need those horses that
people want to line the outside
fence to see, to get close to, and I
think she could be that horse.”
Purdon said with that in mind
he and his father will avoid
starting Millwood Nike against
older horses or even the male
three-year-olds if at all possible
this season.
“She should be able to have
two heats of the Nevele R series
before that final on Cup Day,
while there is a lead-up race
programmed at Addington
about 10 days before the Oaks.
“Those races should all get off
the ground and, if they don’t or
for some reason she has to miss
one of them, then we’d try to use
trials to get her ready rather than
starting in her races we don’t
think she could win.”
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