Mark Purdon to re-unite with Amazing Dream

By Adam Hamilton

It seems Mark Purdon will pause his Queensland holiday to drive champion mare Amazing Dream.

Purdon's son, Nathan, recently took over training Amazing Dream and said he would ask his father to drive her in the new $250,000 The Rising Sun at Albion Park on Saturday week.

"Anthony Butt will drive her in the big mares' race (The Golden Girl), but he's committed to Copy That in The Rising Sun, so I'll ask Dad if he'll stick around and drive Amazing Dream for us," Nathn Purdon said.

Amazing Dream will go into The Rising Sun without a Queensland lead-up run.

"She doesn't need a race. She's got a good foundation of fitness," Purdon said. "I'm big on confidence and I want her full of it when she runs in The Rising Sun.

"That's why she had that soft trial last Friday where I wanted her hitting the line well and feeling good.

"She'll trial again Tuesday at Albion Park and have a stronger hitout, but that'll top her off nicely."

Purdon is also excited about the probable barrier draw matrix for The Rising Sun.

Under the unique preferential draw conditions, Krug as the likely only three-year-old will get gate one, while Amazing Dream, who looks the only mare set to run, will get barrier two.

"I hope that's how it plays out," Purdon said. "It's only a short sort of race (2138m) and good draws like that give us the chance to lead or race handy, which is a big advantage around a track like Albion Park."

Purdon's other stable star, another former Kiwi mare Spellbound, arrives in Queensland this week after a sparkling Menangle win last Saturday.

"She's really thrived over here. It didn't surprise me she won like that at Menangle, her work before it was fantastic," he said.

"Her first run here will be in the Fleur De Lil (mares' race at Albion Park) on July 10.

"I really like her. If she happened to draw to lead in the big mares' race ($100,000 Group 1 The Golden Girl on July 17), she'd be very, very hard to beat."