Meant To Be makes it eight straight wins in Group 1

By Michael Guerin

Champion trainer Barry Purdon is glad the fun ride with Meant To Be is over for a while.

Because while he has been loving winning Group 1s with our superstar young trotter he says the best thing for his future is a winter break.

Meant To Be continued his complete domination of his age group, one that started last spring and hasn’t let up since, when he bolted away with the $120,000 IRT Sires’ Stakes Trot at the Alexandra Park meeting, run a day late on Saturday night.

It wouldn’t have mattered what day they ran it as Meant To Be cruised around the field three wide for the first lap before trotting to the front and winning easily from a surprising Youneverknow, who arrived on the big time scene with a huge second after a lightning back straight move.

Like many horses he challenged Meant To Be but found beating him another thing, as the big son of Father Patrick strode to his eighth straight win dating back to September last year.

“He has done a wonderful job but I am glad he can have a break now,” says Purdon.

“He has really matured and I think a break and then coming back for a southern campaign at the end of the year will be ideal for him.”

Then will come the question of whether Meant To Be can follow on next year to be a true open class horse, which he already appears to have the frame for.

“It is often hard to tell but I have always believed if you look after them when they are young you give them their best chance. And he does have tremendous ability.”

While Purdon has had some great open class trotters like Night Allowance and Mountain Gold, Meant To Be is the best young trotter he has trained in his storied career, this one of course with partner Scott Phelan.

“Young trotters were never really something we concentrated a lot on or tried to buy at the sales but we made a decision to change that a few seasons ago and I am glad we did.

“We are really enjoying having them and they can race for so much more than they used to and we have some other lovely ones coming through to.”

Purdon says stable star Merlin is still spelling as is Duchess Megxit while grand old campaigner Mach Shard has been retired after a great cameo season last year.

“I thought at the start of this year we would have a stronger second half of the season and I am hoping that is the case.”