Seldom has champion horseman Mark Purdon passed up an easier harness racing feature win.

 

Yet the head of New Zealand’s strongest stable had no hesitation in stepping aside for his partner Natalie Rasmussen to handle Our Waikiki Beach, the winner of the $322,000 Australian Pacing Gold final for two-year-old colts and geldings at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Sunday.

 

Purdon had won three races in succession on Our Waikiki Beach, including the last two which qualified him for today’s rich final.

 

And when the son of Somebeachsomewhere drew gate one for the final, Purdon decided he’d be happy to focus on having the youngster at his absolute peak for the big race – training wise – and leave the driving to Rasmussen.

 

If there was any chance of being crossed out of the gate at the start, Rasmussen soon laid those ideas to rest when she gave Our Waikiki Beach a stirring warm-up before the race and consequently when the starter said go, the impressive unbeaten youngster was ready to burn.

 

And like any big race, if you can get away with a slow sectional mid-race, well, the race should be as good as yours – especially when you have a horse of this calibre at the end of the reins.

 

After a 27.9 opening split, Rasmussen was able to back off the speed up the back straight into a strong headwind, going 31.2, which left plenty of fuel for the run home.

 

After a third quarter of 29.3, she released the brakes and Our Waikiki Beach zipped home his last quarter in a fabulous 25.9 to win by a whopping 14.8m from Born To Rocknroll (Luke McCarthy), with Kingofthestars (Nathan Jack), almost three metres further back in third place.

 

The winner rated 1:54.3 and Mark Purdon has indicated he will stay on in Australia to chase more big-race spoils, which look a formality on that run.