Champion New Zealand trainer Mark Purdon’s bid to capture a third Ballarat Pacing Cup has suffered a setback.
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NZ Trotting Cup third placegetter Titan Banner has suffered a leg injury and will not be joining stablemate Smolda in the $120,000 PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup, 2710m, on Saturday, January 21.
News of the setback in NZ broke late on Tuesday.
Purdon has won the Ballarat Cup event twice – Highview Tommy in 2012 and Smolda last year – since he first targeted it with Young Rufus in 2006, but has never had more than one starter in the event.
While Titan Banner’s plans to tackle the Summer of Glory are over, Purdon will still have a big hand Ballarat meeting, with NZ Cup winner Lazarus and Have Faith In Me also bound for Bray Raceway.
Purdon had been considering launching the Australian summer campaign of Lazarus in Saturday night’s Shepparton Cup, but did not nominate him, making Ballarat his next destination.
There are two options for Lazarus at Bray Raceway – the Cup or an $18,000 free-for-all, 1710m.
The 2016 Miracle Mile winner, Have Faith In Me, is set to race in the FFA.
Purdon, who co-trains with Natalie Rasmussen, maintains a strong hand in the Cup.
Smolda, which has been based at the Burrumbeet stable of Ashleigh Herbertson since returning to Victoria after taking out the Inter-Dominion championship in Perth last month, added to his already great record by winning the South Australian Cup on Saturday night.
The Ballarat Cup will also renew the Trans Tasman battle between Purdon and two of Australia’s leading trainers – Ballarat’s Emma Stewart and David Aiken from Avenel.
Aiken is returning for another tilt at the race with 2015 Inter-Dominion champion Lennytheshark, which finished second to Smolda last year.
Stewart’s attempt at a third hometown cup will be spearheaded by the in-form Major Secret.
With her other big game players Guaranteed, Restrepo and Yankee Rockstar off the scene since shortened Inter-Dominion campaigns, Major Secret has lifted to a new level.
He has launched into the summer with a Geelong Cup win, third in the Ballarat Lightning Mile and a stunning victory in Sunday’s group 2 $70,000 Horsham Cup in which he ran a slashing mile rate of 1:55:7.
Stewart’s wins have come with Safari and Restrepo in 2014.
In a shift from tradition, Cup nominations will close at the earlier time of Monday at noon, with the acceptances declared and barrier draw carried out at the Provincial Hotel in Ballarat on Monday night.
Ten races have been programmed, with the group 2 $30,000 EB Cochran Trotters’ Cup another feature event.
Stakemoney for the meeting will total $252,000.
Harness Racing Victoria country cups ambassador and AFL personality Billy Brownless will be a special guest at the cup meeting.