"I think this is my first Group One success as an owner. I don't think Defoe won a Group One race, but he was a Group winner. This is a wonderful feeling and a dream to win such a big race like the Northern Oaks," West said.

He was bang on. Defoe won two Group Two races in New Zealand - the $125,000 Lion Red Mile at Alexandra Park in 1990 and the $50,000 DB Draught Superstars 4yo Final a year earlier. He said patience had reaped its reward with Secret Potion, a daughter of Courage Under Fire.

"She's a credit to so many people really right from Maree Price, who broke who in. She did a tremendous job because she was quite a handful. Once she was settled she could have raced as a 2-year-old but because she wasn't staked for any races we decided to hold off racing with her.

"Mark and the team have been very patient with the filly and it has worked a treat. She only came up to the North island stable in September and Nicole (Molander), Jordan (Compain) and the staff have done an exceptional job with Mark's team in Pukekohe. Even Mark acknowledges that. Nicole and the filly get on very well. She drove her perfectly tonight," West said.

Did she what! Molander whipped around to snatch the lead off stablemate Meredith Maguire (Mark Purdon) at the 1400m and from that moment dictated all the pace to win untouched in the straight. At the finish line Secret Potion had ¾ length to spare over her stablemate. Favourite De Lovely (David Butcher) was half a neck back in third.

The Mark Purdon and Grant Payne trained Secret Potion paced the 2700m mobile in 3:21.5 (mile rate: 2:00) with final 800m and 400m sprints of 58.2 and 28.2 seconds.

Molander, who cares for the Purdon-Payne team in the North at Pukekohe, was understandably delighted with her third Group One success after Gotta Go Cullen won for her in 2005 and 2006.

"This is a very special win because this filly is a very special horse. I get on really well with her and tonight when she got to the lead I thought settle, settle, settle - and she did exactly that.. She is such a nice racehorse to drive. I won't forget this in a hurry," said Molander who featured on Harnesslink this time last week.

For the record, Leeston (Canterbury) based West, who owns Studholme Bloodstock, has been presenting standardbreds at the annual yearling sales for more than two decades. He also owned the second favourite and 11th place-getter Lancome, whom he believed was not suited to 2700m mobile, especially from the one draw.

West and Studholme Bloodstock also owns another budding female champion - last Friday's impressive and unbeaten Mach Three 2yo filly, Collectable. She is also trained by Purdon and Payne.

ALEXANDRA PARK HIGHLIGHTS:

Top Trainer: Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan and Mark Purdon & Grant Payne 3 wins each.

Top Driver: Scott Phelan 2 wins.

Top Sire: Mach Three 2 wins.

Top Junior Driver: No wins.

Results from the Auckland Trotting Club's meeting held at Alexandra Park Raceway in Auckland tonight (Thursday) were:

Race 1: The Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan trained AMBOSELI (Christian Cullen) Scott Phelan.

Race 2: The Tim Butt trained THE BIG MACH (Mach Three) Anthony Butt.

Race 3: The James Stormont trained FEATHERFLIGHT (Brylin Boyz) Frank Cooney.

Race 4: The Wayne Higgs trained REKLAW'S CHANCE (Julius Caesar) Jay Abernethy.

Race 5: The Ken Barron trained THUMPEM (In The Pocket) Peter Ferguson.

Race 6: The Mark Purdon & Grant Payne trained RUSSLEY RASCAL (Mach Three) Blair Orange.

Race 7: The Mark Purdon & Grant Payne trianed SECRET POTION (Courage Under Fire) Nicole Thorn.

Race 8: Race 8: The Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan trained FOUR STARZZZ FLASH (Four Starzzz Shark) Colin De Filippi.

Race 9: The Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan trained BIG DOG (Dream Away) Scott Phelan.

Race 10: The Mark Purdon & Grant Payne trained I CAN DOOSIT (Muscles Yankee) Mark Purdon.

Extensive results.

Duane RANGER (editor)