More The Better justified his $1.20 price by winning the NRM Sires’ Stakes Heat at Forbury Park on Thursday night but just as impressive was his stablemate, Ultimate Machete finishing second.
Both 3yr-olds in the Rolleston stable of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen had not raced since finishing first and second in the same order in the Harness Jewels at Cambridge in June and could be expected to improve.
More The Better made the pace from barrier one, trailed by Mongolian Hero with Ultimate Machete on his outer in the open over the 1700m (mobile) after starting from the outer in a six-horse field. Ultimate Machete ran on boldly to finish a neck from More The Better. The margin was same as the HJ.
More The Better ran the distance in 2.04, a 1.59.4 mile rate, sizzling over the last 800m in 55.6 and 400 in 26.5, the fastest sectionals in nine races on a cool night.
“He felt really good but was coming to the end of his condition at the finish. He has just had the one trial,’’ said driver Mark Purdon. “Ultimate Machete is a smart horse and I expect him to do a big job this season.”
It was the fifth win in a Sires’ Stakes heat at Forbury Park for Purdon. He has trained and driven the winners Likmesiah (2003), Auckland Reactor (2007) and Alleluia (2013). Eric’s Legend won for Purdon and Grant Payne in 2008 with Blair Orange the driver. Rasmussen was the co-trainer of Alleluia. Auckland Reactor carried on to win the Sires’ Stakes Final, the most recent Forbury Park heat winner to achieve the feat. The Purdon- Rasmussen-trained Have Faith In Me staged a colossal run for second in the Forbury heat before his win in the 2014 Final.
The stable won a heat of the current series with You Gotta Have Faith at Addington on September 23. The final heat is at the same venue on October 21 but that is not on the programme for More The Better.
“I would like to give him another race before the final and it will probably be against the older horses at Ashburton,’’ said Purdon. More The Better is now assessed at c6.
Rasmussen described the effort of Ultimate Machete as “excellent.”
Part –owner Phil Kennard said it was worth making the trip from Christchurch to see the performance. “Watch for him over more distance,” he said.
Eamon Maguire, Mustang GT and Motu Time To Shine were 3yr-olds to win supporting races on Thursday night.
Eamon Maguire led over the last 1600m of 2200m (mobile) and won by five and a half lengths in a 1.59.7 mile rate. It was his third win in as many starts. His stablemate Motu Time To Shine led and ran her last 800m in 57.5 to clear C0 ranks as her third start. She is a filly by Bettor’s Delight –Motu Pocket O’Jewels and thus a sister to Motu Premier, who won the 2015 Sires’ Stakes Silver as a 3yr-old.
“She is a little thing and has just kept on improving,’’ said Graeme Anderson, her trainer.
Mustang GT, who cleared C0 ranks, is a half brother by Bettor’s Delight to Mustang Mach, who won the NZ Messenger in Auckland the Four-Year-old Classic at Gloucester Park. Mustang GT is trained by Jamie Gameson, who prepared Mustang Mach for his first win before he was sold to Australia. The Gameson family have taken seven others into a partnership to race Mustang GT. They include first time time owners Geoff Day and his son, Cameron; Michael and Nicki Beeby. Peter Burt, Robin Beeby and Gary Lee are the others. Gameson and his wife,Natalie are breeding from Soonenuff, the dam of Mustang Mach and Mustang GT.
The Fomo (fear of missing out) syndicate and trainer Jonny Cox had an immediate winning return with Gupta’s Cullen, whom they bought six weeks ago. The 17-person syndicate won two races with Weedon’s Express from the Cox stable last year before selling the gelding to Australia. Gupta’s Cullen had one win in 34 starts before joining Cox.
“Where are you going next?” asked Dexter Dunn of owner-trainer Ricky Allen after the all –the-way win of trotter Dusky Eyre. “Where ever you are” was the predictable reply from Allen. Dunn has driven Dusky Eyre three time for as many wins. Allen has sold his trotter Sea Eyre to clients of the New South Wales stable of Blake Fitzpatrick. Allen won a race with Sea Eyre at Motukarara and the 4yr-old has won two of his last four starts from the Ardmore stable of Richard Brosnan.
Tayler Strong