VINCENT LEAVES RIVALS BREATHLESS IN NSW DERBY
ree out of three ain’t bad . . . Group Ones that is.
Only this time the Mark Purdon stable also bagged the Trifecta as well as Vincent, the next superstar of harness racing in this country, captured he $200,000 Wards Accounting Group NSW Derby at Tabcorp Park, Menangle, on Saturday, 25, 2017.
incent (3c Art Major-Kept For Pleasure) defeats All Stars stablemate Ultimate Machete in 2:50.8 (2400m) in the 2017 NSW Pacers Derby.
Vincent beat Ultimate Machete and Motu Meteor to give the powerful All Stars stable the first three over the line as they completely monopolised this blue riband event.
Vincent (Mark Purdon) found the front fairly easily in a 58.3s lead time over the 2400m only to be pressured by Ultimate Machete (Natalie Rasmussen) and handing up the lead.
Turning for home Ultimate Machete found plenty fort Natalie and had the audacity to kick clear despite his hard run but when Mark Purdon found some clear running with Vincent he simply sprouted wings and rated possibly the fastest final quarter ever run at Tabcorp Park Menangle, 25.5s, to score a fairly comfortable win in a 1:54.6 mile rate.
Officials later lamented that the mighty Vincent was a mere one-tenth of a second outside of the world record over the 2400m but there will be bigger things and Group One wins in store for Vincent in coming years as he continues to beat the best of them.
“This is a very very good horse,” was Purdon’s simple comment as he returned with Vincent.
“He is really something special.”
Anyone who witnessed that Derby win would be happy to agree.
Courtesy of Mandy Zammitt, Social Media & Trotguide Co-ordinator, Menangle.