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Champion harness racing trainer Mark Purdon faces an extended stint on the sidelines after a training mishap on Thursday left him with fractures in his hip and pelvis. But the all-time racing great knows it could have been much worse. The 62-year-old was knocked unconscious when a young filly kicked him with both hind legs […]
Nathan Purdon is presenting some strong horsepower at Alexandra Park tomorrow night with smart two year old Coal Fire returning to racing in the first heat of the Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes. Listen to what Nathan has to say about each of his runners. Race One: Wat Next (Art Major) – driver Mark Purdon – […]
Ashley Frank (Bettor’s Delight) was an impressive winner of the second harness racing heat of the Rising Stars last Friday night at Addington and heads into tomorrow’s $30,000 final as one of the favourites. Trained by Hayden and Amanda Cullen, the promising gelding is raced by Peter Van Beek and his wife Jude. Jude is […]
HRNZ records show that M.B.(Bruce) Stirling of Clydevale has bred 246 horses over the fifty one years he’s been involved in harness racing. As a sixteen year old he tried to buy into the Dennis Brothers thoroughbred family but proving to be too expensive, he turned his attention to standardbreds. Shirling became interested in harness […]
Life initially wasn’t easy for Oscar Bonavena (Majestic Son) and if it wasn’t for the intervention of Charlotte Williamson he may not have survived, let alone go on to become a harness racing millionaire. Oscar’s mother Now’s The Moment was owned by Charlotte’s father John Purvis and was grazing at home. “When I found him […]
Pukekohe trainer Nathan Purdon thinks the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety trained Tour Party (Bettor’s Delight) will be very hard to roll in the $100,000 Group One Breckon Farms Cardigan Bay Stakes. Nevertheless he’s confident his two starters are not without a show. “If he (Tour Party) spears up off the gate which we know he […]
Two Group Two features for three year olds will be centre stage at Alexandra Park on Friday night. The Alabar Classic (formally Elsu Classic) sees the Auckland debut of star three year old Jumal (Downbytheseaside). “I’ve done a lot of work with him the Auckland way and I’m feeling pretty confident about it. He’s actually […]
Confederate (Bettor’s Delight) has been sold and will race in America. He was purchased as a yearling for $240,000 at the NZB Standardbred Sales and was raced for a group of owners that included Katrina Purdon, Dean Shannon and his breeders John and Katrina Price. Trained by Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan, over two seasons […]
With 400 metres to run, most were giving Arafura (Sweet Lou) no chance of winning the $225,000 Group One Tennant Engineering New Zealand Pacing Oaks, but under a masterful drive from the ‘Oaks King’ Mark Purdon, she stormed home to nab gallant pacemaker Captains Mistress. ARAFURA REPLAY “It’s just massive. It was a very hard […]
Got The Chocolates (Art Major) once again turned the tables on arch rival Marketplace in today’s $30,000 Ashburton Three Year Old Showcase. Driver John Dunn didn’t have the lightning gate speed of Marketplace or Rubira but he mustered enough speed to get handy, albeit in the parked position. At the 600 metres Marketplace and Got […]
Both Akuta (Bettor’s Delight) and I Dream Of Jeannie (Pegasus Spur) won their respective feature harness races at Oamaru today. Akuta sat parked in today’s pacing feature the $40,000 Group Three Placemakers Hannon Memorial and still won, beating Dalton Shard by one and a half lengths with Macandrew Aviator a head back in third. […]
Nathan Williamson’s thoughts about a possible winning time in this year’s New Zealand Cup are interesting and bound to generate debate. The two Australians, Swayzee and Leap To Fame are the favourites and Williamson said in response to my question “A lot will depend on the day. If the track is in the order that […]
Trainer Mark Purdon and most punters want the same thing from Akuta’s (Bettor’s Delight) comeback at Alexandra Park tonight. They probably just want it delivered in different ways. The one-time superstar of New Zealand harness racing returns tonight after 20 months away from the racetrack, his career all but ended by a split tendon in […]
Classy New Zealand gelding Rubira (Always B Miki) made amends for his failure in the Rising Sun when he convincingly outpointed his harness racing opponents in The $150,000 Group 1 Ladbrokes Queensland Derby run at Albion Park on Saturday evening. In a keen betting race Hesitate was favourite but there was strong support for Fate […]
Inter Dominion legend Mark Purdon has backed the popular concept to rise back to its former glory ahead of the grand final occasion on Saturday evening at Albion Park. The 2025 series is the start of the Inter Dominion Championship being back in Queensland for the next three years, with the prizemoney on offer increasing […]
Hayden and Amanda Cullen’s harness racing stable has moved. Purdon Racing have vacated their Rolleston barn to head north, and the Cullens have relocated to the stable where they both previously worked as employees for All Stars. Hayden got started in the sport working for his father Barry and he worked in the school holidays […]
When Ocean Eyes (Father Patrick) won at Alexandra Park on the 23rd May in the hands of Zachary Butcher, she brought Glenys and Phil Kennard’s wins tally to 700. Their first was Idle Bromac at Ashburton in May 1987 trained and driven by Robert Dunn. The Kennards were then part of the Blue Blood No […]
Chase A Dream’s (Captaintreacherous) Queensland harness racing campaign and any hope of a stud career are both over before they began. The exceptional but erratic four-year-old was pulled out of the Rising Sun at Albion Park in July 5 on Wednesday morning by co-owner and trainer Mark Purdon following a so-so second to stablemate Rubira […]
New Zealand’s chances of having a serious Inter Dominion pacing contender this winter could be finalised at a quiet Pukekohe harness racing trial meeting on Tuesday. That is if any horse can be termed a serious contender going to Queensland to take on local champion Leap To Fame on his home track at Albion Park. […]
The draws haven’t done him any favours but Marketplace will start a commanding favourite in Friday night’s $200,000 Group 1 New Zealand Sires’ Stakes 3YO Colts and Geldings Final (9.34pm). The Final is the feature on a big night of Group and Listed races at Addington that includes the Group 2 Ricoh Bionic Chance 2YO […]
Champion harness racing trainer Mark Purdon saddled up his first galloping winner at Ellerslie today. Buster Shaw in the hands of Jasmine Fawcett took out the first race for Purdon, whose horses prior to today’s win had recorded a second and two thirds at the races. Edendale breeders Alex and Karen Milne have had a […]
At least Mark Purdon knows it can be done. The genius trainer of New Zealand harness racing proves just how bad he is as being semi-retired by having runners in both slot races at Cambridge tonight: Oscar Bonavena (Majestic Son) in the $600,000 TAB Trot and Chase A Dream in the $1million Race by Betcha. […]
Charlie Robert’s decision twenty seven years ago to buy Scuse Me on the advice of legendary American horseman Stanley Dancer, has been a game changer for the New Zealand Harness Racing industry. Scuse Me left New Zealand in 1998 after winning eight of her twenty five starts. She was taken to the States by two […]
The Purdon Racing era in Canterbury is over. It’s been announced that the highly-successful harness racing operation will leave their state-of-the-art facilities in Rolleston and re-locate to the Pukekohe training centre in a barn formerly used by the now Canterbury-based Steven Reid. With Mark Purdon now living in the Waikato son Nathan has been mulling […]
