Purdon picking no favourite

Bookmakers have done what champion trainer Mark Purdon could not do this week.

Purdon and training partner Natalie Rasmussen start a sensational team in tonight's group 1 Easter Cup at Addington.

Their five-horse attack in the 3200m feature is headed by New Zealand Cup winner Thefixer, Miracle Mile winner Spankem and Auckland Cup winner Turn It Up.

That trio is backed up by fellow All Stars pacers Eamon Maguire and Elle Mac.

Bookmakers ranked Turn It Up as the favourite for tonight's race ahead of second favourite Thefixer and third favourite Spankem.

Purdon did not rank them in that order.

The champion trainer said he could not separate his trio of superstars heading into the race.

And the only thing that will split them is which horse gets the best run.

"It really comes down to the runs.

"They are all really good horses and it will just be the runs they get that will separate them."

What Purdon was certain of is that the trio will form the basis of the team that will seek his stable's fourth consecutive win in the New Zealand Cup.

"They are all lovely horses and come November next year they are going to be serious contenders for the New Zealand Cup."

Spankem will attempt to continue his incredible rise from the middle grades to Miracle Mile winner tonight.

"He has gone to another level and he seemed to have come back from the let-up he had after Sydney in great shape."

The 3200m and standing-start conditions of the Easter Cup are a long way from the 1609m of a Miracle Mile.

They are conditions Purdon expects the horse to relish.

"He is a very sensible horse and he has had a couple of stands before and there are no issues with him stepping, I don't think.

"And I would be surprised if he couldn't see two miles out strongly."

Thefixer, who chased Spankem home in the Miracle Mile, showed he was on song for tonight's race with a huge second behind Henry Hubert in free-for-all company at Addington last week.

The All Stars pacer was forced to race three and four wide for much of the last lap, before running a tenacious second.

"He was very, very good and he needed the run.

"He has come through it well. Initially I thought it might have been a bit tough on him, but he has got through the race really well."

Turn It Up goes into the Easter Cup the freshest of the star Purdon-Rasmussen trio.

The 4yr-old has not raced since his win in the Waikato Flying Mile in early January.

Turn It Up prepared for tonight's event with a second placing behind Spankem at the Rangiora workouts last week.

Though Spankem and Thefixer have raced in the autumn, Purdon does not think they bring any kind of fitness advantage over Turn It Up into tonight's race.

"It is not a factor. He has jumped to the top level and acquitted himself really well.

"Fitness is not really a factor."

Purdon said Turn It Up had thrived during his time off after his Waikato Mile win.

"The break has done him good.

"He looks really good; he is probably carrying more condition than he ever has.

"But, he is not a horse that carries a lot of weight."

Turn It Up has a 10m handicap advantage over Spankem and Thefixer, who start from the 20m mark.

Henry Hubert looks the main challenger to the powerful Purdon-Rasmussen team.

The 4yr-old won last week after producing a huge effort to win his prior start in the Northern Southland Cup.

He is one of four horses in the event trained by Robert Dunn.

 

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