Weekend of rocks and diamonds at the Jewels

Five talking points from a weekend of rocks and diamonds at the Harness Racing Jewels.

ONE: New name for Harness Jewels?
When he retires, surely the Harness Jewels will be renamed the Mark Purdon Harness Jewels. The training partnership of Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen won four of the seven races it contested at Ashburton on Saturday. That took their partnership's total to 17 Jewels wins since it formed in 2014. But going back further, Purdon, either on his own account or in partnership with Grant Payne or Rasmussen, has won 34 races as a trainer. His driving win aboard Piccadilly Princess on Saturday took him to 21 Jewels winners in the sulky. It is a record that will never be seriously threatened and when the day comes that he is no longer dominating on the track, why not keep the Mark Purdon name on the trophies to recognise his dominance?

TWO: Harness Jewels an industry day of celebration
The Harness Jewels concept is great for owners who have a horse racing on the day and genuine standardbred fans but sadly it is never going to penetrate the casual racing and sports fans under the current format. The crowd numbers at Ashburton stood up reasonably well on Saturday, especially given the clash with the Crusaders and Highlanders match just up the road, but the day lacks atmosphere and is lacking a grand finale or main event the day can build up to. The concept works because most owners are desperate just to have a horse there let alone win. But to really prosper, harness racing needs more days that show off its product to a much wider market. The Jewels, as it is, is never going to do that.

THREE: So close yet so far for the Ozzie battlers
Eleven years into the Harness Jewels and still there is no Australian winner. Saturday's two representatives from across the Tasman came close but not close enough. One Muscle Hill finished second, a head behind Paramount King in the two-year-old Ruby and Mr Mojito was second, four and a half lengths behind Heaven Rocks, in the four-year-old Emerald. The Australian invite process has been fraught with disappointments and last minute pullouts but it can work if it is more financially enticing to cross the ditch. If the race stakes are not going up, maybe it is time to ditch the green Jewels colours and the Australian runners wear the colours of the sponsor who helped fund some of their travel costs? Sponsorship on that level is never easy to find, especially for nine races, but three genuine winning chances should be enough to spark more betting interest across the Tasman. The green Harness Jewels colours are a great idea in theory but money and exposure for sponsors talk. At the moment, running second would hardly cover costs for the Australian visitors and there are plenty of major races to keep them at home.

RACE IMAGES

Connections of Jack's Legend prove what the Harness Jewels mean to owners.

 

FOUR: All in a day's work for Davey
David Butt is one of the more unflappable characters in harness racing and he proved it once again at Saturday's Harness Jewels. Ten days before Butt drove Wilma's Mate – a mare he and wife Catherine trained through her first 12 starts – to victory in the Group I four-year-old Ruby he was hit with a bad case of vertigo. It was so bad he feared he was having a stroke and was admitted to hospital. Butt, who provided stewards with a medical clearance the day before the Jewels, was calm and cool as he drove the Paul Nairn-trained trotter to victory. On his return to the birdcage, there was no extravagant celebrations from Butt, just his usual chewing of his gum and a nod of the head to acknowledge the Group I job was done. It might have been a shaky week but there was no unsettling the cool-headed Butt on Saturday.

FIVE: Never be afraid to take the one you like
Age group racing is often dominated by short-priced favourites and Saturday's Harness Jewels was shaping up as yet another example of that. But nothing is ever that easy. Of the seven runners who started at minuscule odds and looked unbeatable, only four of them won and Paramount King ($10.80), Ashley Locaz ($40.40) and Jack's Legend ($46.50) once again proved that it is called punting for a reason.

MAT KERMEEN