Purvis quintet head to Rangiora

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk

Matt Purvis is hoping he can take home a couple of winning cheques from Rangiora on Sunday.

The Woodend Beach trainer will line-up a quintet of runners, including Sense Of Occasion and Auchtercairn in the NZ Expeditionary Force Amateur Drivers (2000m).

Sense Of Occasion heads into Sunday in consistent form, having placed in five of his last six starts, and winning the other.

While confident in the gelding’s chances on Sunday, Purvis said it will be a good hit-out for the four-year-old after a bug went through his stable last month.

“He has been a model of consistency,” Purvis said. “He has got a good draw (3) tomorrow and I couldn’t see why his run of good form can’t continue.

“It is a nice race for him to come back into. I had a bit of a bug run through the stable and I had to back off them a bit. It will be a good pipe opener for him before he goes back to Addington.”

Purvis is also confident about Auchtercairn’s chances and said she can be forgiven for her last start unplaced run at Addington last month.

“Auchtercairn has been another one that has been really consistent since turning up,” he said. “Her last run she was slightly disappointing, but with the bug that ran through my stable, it made sense.

“She has bounced back from that and her work has been good. She has got a good draw (1), so she shouldn’t be too far away either.”

Purvis will also line-up Lei Miss and Honour Before Glory in the Le Quesnoy Mobile Pace (2000m).

“Lei Miss is a bit of a head scratcher,” he said. “But her work has been good at home and she will need a lot of luck tomorrow, but she should be running on at the finish.

“Honour Before Glory has only been with me for about a month. Her work has been really good and I am really happy with her. I expect a bold showing from her.”

Purvis’ quintet will be rounded out by Jenabella who will take her place in the ANZAC Batallion ‘Young At Heart Super Sprint’ (1390m).

Purvis is unsure how his charge will handle the sprint distance, but he is looking forward to contesting the unique race.

“I am not too sure how that one will work out, the 1390m is a bit of a head scratcher,” he said.

“It will be interesting – it is something that will either take off or be a flop.

“But she seems well and her work has been good. If they go hard she will have her chance to sprint over the top of them.”