Got The Chocolates shows open class credentials in Roy Purdon Memorial win

By Michael Guerin

Got The Chocolates couldn’t have picked a more perfect time to find his new weapon.

Because if you want to win the absolute biggest races it helps to have two strings to your bow.

And after what we have seen at Alexandra Park in the last week, Got The Chocolate can now sprint with the best of them.

He needed to do just that to win Friday night’s $100,000 Barry Purdon Racing — Roy Purdon Memorial as he came from a seemingly hopeless position at the top of the straight by exploding up the inside of The Lazarus Effect and Swayzee.

As good as that sounds it looked better as Got The Chocolates had been forced to race three back on the marker pegs as Swayzee led and The Lazarus Effect trailed in a no pressure race.

When the field sprinted The Lazarus Effect was always going to get the passing lane and get past Swayzee, who was always going to come back at him.

But nobody could have predicted Got The Chocolates blowing them both away for sheer speed, making up a full length on The Lazarus Effect in the last 100m for a quite stunning win.

“It is not that he hasn’t had any speed, we all saw the sectionals he and Marketplace were pacing in those big races last year,” said driver John Dunn.

“But we probably hadn’t had the opportunity to drive him like we have the last two weeks until now and to see him sprint like that give us options heading forward.”

Big-race winning options.

Because you won’t win the races that really matter racing like Got The Chocolates did last season, forced by his own lack of gate speed to play the bully.

It might work in New Zealand’s weekly open class races but it isn’t going to see you beat Leap To Fame, Kingman and co in the Cups.

But the new, faster and stronger Got The Chocolates might at least have a shot at those harness heroes now he can kick as hard as he used to grind.

Friday’s race didn’t show us Got The Chocolates can or will win this year’s New Zealand Cup.

But it suggests he can win the Cups that come after it, when Larry heads off to stud and the new era starts.

“We’d love him to be one of those horses who leads the New Zealand fightback alongside Marketplace and The Lazarus Effect."

But first comes the Messenger next Friday and a chance to decide who wears Alexandra Park’s autumn pacing crown.

Finally New Zealand open class pacing fans may be able to see light at the end of a three-year tunnel.