Barry Purdon back in the sulky after six year absence

By Michael Guerin 

One of the legends of New Zealand racing will make a comeback to the track on Friday night to partner a horse 67 years younger than him.

Hall of Fame trainer Barry Purdon will have his first race night drive since 2019 when he partners Higher Power in an intermediate trot (Race 4, 7.27pm) at Alexandra Park, the three-year-old trotter set to start an odds-on favourite.

Purdon, who trains Higher Power with Scott Phelan, is one of the all-time greats of either equine code in New Zealand, having won every race that matters as a trainer, while he has driven the winners of Auckland, Hunter and Victoria Cups, Miracle Miles and Inter Dominion Trot Finals.

Perhaps most remarkably his huge honour roll has been compiled even after engaging other drivers, most notably Tony Herlihy or Zachary Butcher, to drive many of his best horses over the last 40 years.

But he was forced from his occasional racenight drives in 2019 by a nagging hip issue which ultimately saw him undergo hip replacement surgery. It was not straight forward.

"We ended up having some complications so I think I have had six operations, although Katrina [wife] tells me it is seven,” says Purdon.

“It was nobody’s fault, I was lucky enough to have an amazing surgeon who was a great guy but when you are dealing with the body, same as in horses, things can go wrong.

“But I am good now and have been back driving quite a lot of track work.”

There is no secret training reason Purdon wants to partner Higher Power tonight even though the young trotter potentially has $800,000 worth of feature races coming up before the end of the year.

“I could get somebody else to drive him but I want to keep my hand in,” says the 70-year-old.

“I am enjoying driving track work and I think being out there on race night gives you a better idea of what is going on and maintains that connection.

“I won’t be driving a lot or even all the time but am looking forward to being back out there. I’m quite excited.”

With no many young drivers having come through the ranks and Purdon having been absent from the Alexandra Park driver’s room for six years, is he worried he might need to find a new locker?

“Funny you should mention that, I was in there the other day and they still have my name on my old locker where I used to sit every week, so I think I will be fine,” he laughs.

Herlihy trotter looks the goods at Alexandra Park tonight 

By Michael Guerin

Youneverknow could be taking the first steps towards $800,000 worth of races when he returns in a lower-grade trot at Alexandra Park tonight.

The three-year-old trotter will be one of the hottest favourites of the night even from his second line draw in Race 2, the Rising Foundation Trot (6.22pm)  after looking one of the emerging members of his crop last campaign.

Trainer-driver Tony Herlihy is happy with Youneverknow’s fitness after two recent trials, the second of them at Alexandra Park last Friday.

“I think it helps these horses who are going to be racing at Alexandra Park to be able to trial on the track on race nights so it is a good move,” said Herlihy.

“He should be fit enough and while his draw is a little bit tricky he is a pretty good horse who feels like he has improved since last campaign.”

If Herlihy’s assesment is correct then Youneverknow could find himself in far richer races before the end of the year.

The three-year-old trotters now have the $500,000 slot race THE ASCENT at Addington on November 14 before the $200,000 NZ Trotting Derby while Youneverknow is eligible for the $100,000 Golden Gait series of finals at Alexandra Park in December.

“We will have to see how he races in these first couple of races back but if we were offered a slot [in the Ascent] and he was going good enough of course we’d be keen to have a crack.

“And if he was down there [Addington] he could also race in the Derby.

“But even if he doesn’t end up going south he has the Golden Gait up here.”

While he is still learning Youneverknow is more experienced than another couple of well-suppOrted Herliny runners tonight in Miki Holla (R3, No.3) and Overdrawn, who makes his debut in Race 8.

“Miki Holla is a nice filly who was good on debut so you think she would be hard to beat while Overdrawn will develop into a good trotter.

“He still has a lot to learn and will be a better horse with four or five races under his belt but he is promising.”

Overdrawn meets a couple of other handy debutantes in Paramount Spur and Majestic Whizdom in their maiden trot with whoever behaves best out of the newcomers potentially the deciding factor.

Youneverknow isn’t the only talented three-year-old trotter returning tonight as Ocean Eyes and Illicit Love take on some smart older horses in the intermediate trot while Herlihy has Pretty In Pink against the highly-rated Higher Power in an earlier trot.

“She hasn’t been showing as much zip as she should in her last two races but I think it is there so I have made a gear change tonight,” says Herlihy.

“But Higher Power is one of the better horses in the three-year-old crop so he will be hard to beat.”