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The two Metro Finals at Alexandra Park tonight will give punters a glimpse into Nathan Purdon’s future. The talented young trainer and his father Mark will end their training partnership at the end of the month, which doubles at the finish of the 2025 harness racing season, with Mark taking a step back from fulltime […]
The Ashburton harness racing meeting on Monday is a pivotal day for many horses, with most trainers using the meeting as a stepping stone for higher stakes races in the coming four weeks. As expected, Mark and Nathan Purdon have strong chances across the card for the meeting and all eyes will be on their […]
This is a public service announcement for punters: Mark Purdon is confident heading to Addington’s mega harness racing meeting tonight. Which means when assessing many of the features on the stacked 13-race card you should start with the champion horseman’s drives before looking anywhere else for your money makers. Purdon being confident is not unusual […]
Confidence is the key for Look To Da Stars at Cambridge Raceway tonight. The four-year-old son of Andover Hall lines up in the NZMCA Parking At Cambridge Raceway Handicap Trot (7.54pm) for Pukekohe trainers Mark and Nathan Purdon, with in-form harness racing reinsman Andre Poutama taking the drive. As a three-year-old, he showed flashes of […]
Outside of Yulestar, few Taranaki standardbreds have won Group One features. But that changed on Friday night when Shezsofast (Vincent) bred by Phil Fleming took out the Caduceus Two Year Old Fillies Classic in Auckland. SHEZSOFAST REPLAY The Fleming family is synonymous with harness racing in Taranaki and Phil is a third generation Fleming. His […]
The longevity of the stock of Majestic Son was highlighted at Motukarara on Sunday with three of his older progeny winning races. The trio of wins was led by the Mark and Nathan Purdon trained nine year old entire Oscar Bonavena who won his second DG Jones Memorial/Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup. Eight year old trotting […]
On a day when the racing pattern indicated you just couldn’t come from the back and win, champion trotter Oscar Bonavena (Majestic Son) kicked the theory to the back of the harness racing parade ring and put in a stunning performance to win the $40,000 Group Three Elite Stride DG Jones Memorial Banks Peninsula Trotting […]
Racing at Addington last night went up another notch as the stars of the sport began to shine. Oscar Bonavena (Majestic Son) took another step toward the Dominion Trot when he won last night’s $40,000 Group Three ITM Ordeal Cup. OSCAR BONAVENA REPLAY “He was unlucky in Brisbane. He got the perfect run tonight and […]
Purdon Racing has plenty of winning chances across the Addington race card tomorrow night and it’s great to see the ‘blue army’ back in the south as we head into the exciting part of the harness racing season. After many successful years based in Canterbury, Mark and Nathan Purdon relocated to the Auckland area earlier […]
Purdon Racing has two very good chances in Rubira (Always B Miki) and Oscar Bonavena (Majestic Son) on Saturday night at the Inter Dominion Finals at Albion Park. Rubira starts in the $150,000 Group One 2025 Ladbrokes Queensland Derby and draws the outside of the front row. At his last start in The Rising Sun […]
A three-year-old is yet to crowned champion of The Rising Sun in the races short but rich tenure and champion horseman Mark Purdon believes Rubira is as good a chance as any to rewrite the harness racing history books. New Zealander Mark trains alongside his son Nathan as co-trainer’s and they present to Saturday’s big […]
One half of New Zealand’s most dominant thoroughbred training partnership has been recognised at the Industry Excellence Awards, with Sam Bergerson claiming the supreme Entain Excellence Award at a function at Ellerslie last night (29 June). Bergerson (31) has been in partnership with Mark Walker at Te Akau Racing for the past two seasons, and […]
Star New Zealand gelding Rubira (Always B Miki) continued the great run of success for the Kiwi harness racing raiders when he led all the way to take out the Group 3 $52,000 Redcliffe Derby on Saturday night. Rubira had impressed with his Australian debut a fortnight back at Albion Park and from the pole […]
Vessem (Vincent) took full advantage of having a perfect trip on the back of a horse that was intent on leading in tonight’s $60,000 Group Two Continental Event Hire Superstar Championship at Addington, and he was rewarded with a well deserved win. From barrier one in the pacing feature, Beach Ball with Robbie Close on […]
Having won four Southern Supremacy Stakes between 2005 and 2016, Mark Purdon’s name returned to the winners list today with Five Crowns (Bettor’s Delight) when he impressively won the forty second addition of the Alabar sponsored Group Two feature in the hands of Blair Orange. Orange ensured that the three year old was ready to […]
A field of seven quality harness racing youngsters will line up on Sunday at Ascot Park for the $100,000 Group One Diamond Creek Farm Two Year Old Classic. The Steven Reid colt Jumal (Downbytheseaside) is expected to dominate the betting. Blacklaz (Lazarus), trained by Mark and Nathan Purdon wasn’t in the original nominations but the […]
The $60,000 Group Two Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes Final at Ascot Park on Sunday looks to be an even affair with strong numbers fronting up and a good depth of talent. Rolleston trainers Mark and Nathan Purdon line up Five Crowns (Bettor’s Delight) in the three year old feature. He was sighted running home late […]
Cran and Chrissie Dalgety and Mark and Nathan Purdon’s harness racing stables have key runners in some of the feature races at Alexandra Park tomorrow night. In the $100,000 Group One Pascoe The Jewellers Northern Oaks, the Dalgety runner Beside Me (Downbytheseaside) gets the draw (4) to lead. She was very good at her last […]
Co-trainer Nathan Purdon is more hopeful than sure that the forgotten horse of New Zealand harness racing Akuta, (Bettor’s Delight) whom he trains in partnership with his father Mark, will return to racing. The now six year old last started in the Group Two Franklin Cup in December 2023 when he finished third behind Don’t […]
A text from co-trainer Nathan Purdon gave Jonny Cox the driver of Alecto (Bettor’s Delight) the confidence to sit parked in today’s harness racing feature at Addington – the $40,000 Group Three Cobbity Equine ‘Leonard Memorial.’ Most of the pre-race talk was around stablemate Secret Wish and the Dalgety runner Bettor Belle. Both had their […]
Five Crowns (Bettor’s Delight) proved he was a tough customer in winning heat three of the Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes at the Wyndham Harness Racing Club meeting at Young Quinn Raceway yesterday. Driver Blair Orange eased the three year old off the gate from his outside draw as Captain Amore took up the running. Favourite […]
“It was do or die tonight,” trainer Mark Purdon who trains in partnership with his son Nathan, said after Chase A Dream (Captaintreacherous) turned his form around and caused an upset in the $60,000 Group Two Garrards Waikato Pacers Flying Mile tonight at Cambridge. Prior to tonight’s run the four year old stallion had looked […]
Purdon Racing has their harness racing team split over two islands tomorrow night with runners at both Addington and Alexandra Park. In Auckland Mark and Nathan start their night with Midnight Miki (Always B Miki) and Rubira (Always B Miki) in the $60,000 Group Two Alabar Three Year Old Classic. Midnight Miki, after winning his […]
Outstanding New Zealand pacer Don’t Stop Dreaming (Bettor’s Delight) at last was able to show Australian harness racing fans his true colours with a powerful staying performance to take out last night’s $30,000 Terang Co-Op Pacing Cup at the Dalvui Raceway last night. Patiently driven by Kate Gath, Don’t Stop Dreaming eased back to the […]
