PHOTO
Fans of the Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen stable are spoilt for choice in the 3yr-old features at Ascot Park tomorrow.
The Rolleston-based pair have nine pacers entered on ''Finals Day'' at Ascot Park, including four runners in the group 2 Southern Supremacy Stakes for 3yr-old male pacers.
Purdon has become very astute in spreading his age-grade pacers around Australasia.
His decision to buy at the Australian sales in recent years has paid off, with the country's best 2yr-old, Follow The Stars, being sent on a trip to Melbourne for the Australian Pacing Gold series.
But down south, the Purdon-Rasmussen juggernaut looks tough to rumble in the Southern Supremacy.
The duo have the first two favourites in Southland's biggest race for sophomore male pacers, with TAB bookmakers installing Messini as a $3 favourite, based on his front-line draw.
The Art Major colt is unbeaten in two starts in Southland in this campaign, and his low head carriage was a distinctive feature as he thrashed his rivals at Winton last week by almost five lengths.
Gentle Western ($5.50) is more lightly raced, with just four starts under his belt, but has tasted defeat only once - at Wyndham on February 22.
That loss was to the Robbie Holmes-trained Cyclone Kiwi who picked up his rivals in style last week at Winton and has barrier 2 to work with.
The close relation to Kiwi Ingenuity was opened as a $6 third-favourite, with the Robert Dunn-trained Return To Sender at $7.
Purdon and Rasmussen also line up Nota Lada and Meticulous in the $45,000 2700m feature.
The Southland Oaks for 3yr-old fillies is shaping up as a two-horse affair, with the Purdon-Rasmussen-trained Willow joining her fierce rival, Raksdeal, on the second line of the mobile start.
The pair last clashed in the 3yr-old fillies sires' stakes final at Alexandra Park on New Year's Eve, when Willow picked up Raksdeal in the last 100m to win the group 1 classic.
Willow went on to perform admirably across the Tasman Sea, succumbing only to Shes A Runa and Ocean Diva in the final stages of the New South Wales Oaks on March 2.
The TAB bookmakers leaned towards Willow when the fixed-odds market opened on Wednesday night, opening her at $2.20 and Raksdeal at $2.80.
Goodness Gracious Me ($8.50) was the only other filly in single figures in the Oaks market.
Updates
Additional information for meetings today.-
M2 Auckland RC
Scratchings
Race 1: Miss Herb.
Race 3: Flying Briar.
Race 5: Huckleberry Flyer.
Race 8: Villars.
Race 9: Silver Platter.
Weather, fine; track, good3; rail out 9m.
M4 Manawatu JC
Rider
Race 1: Revolve - Kelly Myers.
Race 4: Ruready - No rider declared.
Race 6: Zedetta - No rider declared; Baby Gee - Craig Grylls.
Scratchings
Race 1: Yardstick.
Race 6: Horse Warrior.
Weather, fine; track, dead4; rail in true position.
M6 Southland RC
Rider
Race 1: Little Ted - Jamie Bates.
Scratchings:
Race 1: Jimmy, Unicorn Power.
Race 2: Sophie Louise, Koffee 'N Kream
Race 6: McDonald
Race 8: Bragging Rights.
Weather, overcast; track, dead4; rail in true position.