It’s not often that positives can be found from a horse being injured, but in the case of Friday night’s New Zealand Derby winner it may have been the blessing in disguise that the doctor ordered.

That’s the thinking of the colt’s co-trainer Mark Purdon who was running out of superlatives for his latest star in the wake of his victory in the $200,000 Group One event.

Purdon has always known Vincent was a little bit better than normal. His, and training partner Natalie Rasmussen’s, former stable foreman Duane Marfisi knew it too.

But injury struck during his two-year-old days and it led to him starting just the once.

“We aren’t actually 100 percent sure what  the problem was,” Purdon said.

“But at the end of the day it might have been the making of him, he’s turned out be a star.”

Purchased for $130,000 at the Australian APG Sales by Jean Feiss for her husband, Bill, Vincent won on debut and had only been beaten on three occasions since and one of those came when he carried a flat tyre in the New South Wales Derby and took no part.

“He’s getting better and better,” Purdon added.

After keeping his hands clean out of the gate while others went to war, Purdon worked to the lead from his stablemate, Ultimate Machete, at the one mile and it all looked rather pedestrian from there.

Although Purdon was concerned.

“Going around the stables bend the last time we were low-flying and I knew Ultimate Machete was on my back and we had gone so hard which was always going to suit him.

“I was waiting for him to go straight past me in the straight and he did level up for a moment before my guy kicked, it was a truly incredible performance.”

Vincent stopped the clock in a scarcely believable 3.06.0, two and a half seconds quicker than the previous New Zealand record for a three-year-old held by Lazarus.

It also bettered Mr Mojito’s all-comers record – a remarkable performance by a three-year-old.

The win also gave the All Stars establishment their 200th Group One victory more than a decade after Il Vicolo gave him his first when he won the first of his two New Zealand Trotting Cups.

And to top it all off for Purdon and Rasmussen, Purdon’s father, Roy was on hand to take the action in on a rare visit to Addington Raceway.

The All Stars were in dominant form again on the night, winning not only with Vincent but also with Lazarus in the Group Three Gordon Roxburgh Free-For-All, Spankem in the Group Two Welcome Stakes and a lower grade race with Derby emergency, Riccardo.

Lazarus readied himself for the upcoming features at Alexandra Park with an effortless display after following stablemate, Waikiki Beach, across from the outside of the mobile arm.

“He stepped up from last week and felt super,” Purdon said.

“That will have him ready for Auckland now, he’s in good shape.”

Spankem’s win in the Welcome Stakes was predicted, and well overdue.

After looking the best of the All Stars juveniles early on, a run of bad luck, big performances and learning curves led to him having to wait until his fifth start to the break the maiden status.

But a $60,000 event isn’t a bad way to open your account.

“I’ve always had a lot of time for him and the Auckland trip really made him.

“He was pretty handy when we he went up there, but has come back even better.”

Riccardo’s big victory, after getting well back and working hard, tidied up a good night at the office for Bill and Jean Feiss with this one in the name of Jean.

On the ballot for the Derby, he was right at home in a lower grade race and showed plenty of fight for Natalie Rasmussen to get to the line and claim victory.

Matt Markham