Mark Purdon drives Lazarus to victory in the Eynesbury Victoria Cup.
Lazarus’ dominant victory in the Eynesbury Victoria Cup reinforced his star-studded status and capped a remarkable night for trainer-driver Mark Purdon, who registered a fifth win on the trot.
The 12m win in the $400,000 Group 1 feature prompted Purdon, not one for grand statements, to share that Lazarus just might be the greatest horse he had ever trained.
Purdon had reason to be chuffed after Lazarus’ win topped an incredible winning streak and has him seemingly set for further glory on Saturday’s Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup night.
“I feel good. It’s been a great night,” Purdon said. “Unbelievable, you don’t expect to come here and win them all and to do it is a great feeling.”
Purdon claimed two VHRSC Victoria Derby heats, including with Vincent who put in a Lazarus like performance, won The SEW Eurodrive Pure Steel with Have Faith In Me and then drove Sunny Ruby to victory in the Haras Des Trotteurs V L Dullard Trotters Cup.
But all the success would have been soured had Lazarus not sealed the deal in the night’s showcase race, and it was a win that never seemed in doubt.
Lazarus showed gate speed to match the fast starters inside him, Major Crocker and Tact Tate, and so was able to glide across and then claim the front at the time of his choosing.
Lazarus’ biggest threat, Hectorjayjay, had plenty of room to advance from the back row after Major Crocker’s blistering start, but a check with Cruz Bromac saw Hectorjayjay break and plummet to the rear of the field.
It as good as put paid to Josh and David Aiken’s challenger and enabled Purdon to run free up front.
“You can’t afford to get checked in this sort of race, it’s tough to overcome that against a good horse like this,” Purdon said. “Luckily (Lazarus) got out of the gate good and into a good spot before I decided to take the front.”
After a 44.2 lead time Lazarus set 30-second and 28.6-second first and second quarters, the latter after Bling It On loomed into the breeze and then gifted that place to trailing Hectorjayjay.
Aiken's was a brave attempt to put the second favourite back into the race, but Lazarus’ 27.4 third quarter and 26.4 final quarter put him into a class of his own, winning by 12m from Major Crocker, who ran an outstanding second and finished some 7.7m clear of third-placed Bling It On.
But, in the end there was only one, Lazarus, the four-year-old Bettors Delight entire out of Bethany for owners Glenys and Phil Kennard, Trevor Casey and Kevin Riseley.
“He’s a special horse,” Purdon said. “I said that to the owners as a three-year-old. Smolda got beaten in a free-and-all and I told the owners that Lazarus would have won that, and he was only three at the time.”
Smolda will get his turn next week in the $500,000 Group 1 Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup, when he will take on old foe Lennytheshark.
Purdon’s enormous Summer Of Glory could continue to blaze on February 4 with Lazarus to be an almost unbackable favourite in the Edgell Sidewinders 4YO Bonanza and Vincent likewise in the VHRSC Victoria Derby.
Media enquiries:
Michael Howard (HRV Media/Communications Co-Ordinator)
t: 03 8378 0286 | e: mhoward@hrv.org.au | tw: @MichaelRHoward
