Nathan Purdon is not losing any sleep over his hot favourite copping the worst possible draw in the group 2 Macca Lodge Kindergarten Stakes.
Special Occasion will be out to create a special occasion for his owners on Wyndham’s biggest annual day of harness racing tomorrow.
The pacer has been installed a $1.30 favourite for the first feature of the new season for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
While barrier 8 is not the draw Special Occasion’s camp would have chosen for him, Purdon is full of hope that if things get tough, his horse will be up for the challenge.
"He is one of those horses that getting up to him is a lot easier than getting past him.
"He has got a lot of bottom to him. He is one that will dig in when another horse gets alongside him."
Special Occasion worked around the field to lead in the middle stages before speeding to victory in his debut at Addington.
He could go about his Kindergarten Stakes challenge from barrier 8 in the same fashion, but it will be totally up to driver Blair Orange.
"He is one of those horses that if you buzz him off the gate early he will come back to you and go to sleep.You can drive him with two fingers.
"He is just as quick as he is tough, so he will be pretty adaptable however the race pans out."
The Mark and Nathan Purdon stable will also send Mr Kaplan south for the inaugural running of the group 3 Wyndham Champagne Stakes.
The mare has not trialled following a freshener after taking on the Addington mares’ features in January.
But that does not mean she is not fit and ready to win.
"She had had a lot of racing and she needed a freshen-up, so she went to the water walker for two weeks.
"She seems to be in a really good place.
"I don’t think it matters how she is driven — she should be a pretty good chance if she doesn’t run into any bad luck."
Five Crowns also represents the Purdon stable in tomorrow’s Southern Supremacy Stakes heat.
Like Special Occasion, the pacer has also drawn barrier 8 but he can too can overcome it.
"He is a nice horse. Obviously Captain Commodore will be quite a hard horse to beat."
"He has the advantage of drawing inside us. But our horse has been going well and he’s raced nice horses before."
Blair Orange will also link up with Five Crowns and Mr Kaplan.
