Jack’s Legend goes from head-scratcher to unstoppable

[Chief Stipe]

You wouldn’t think it after more than 2600 training wins, but Barry Purdon can still find himself perplexed by the odd horse.
New Zealand’s all-time winningest trainer admits to scratching his head a few times recently with stable star Jack’s Legend, who made it four wins in a row in the Gr. 2 $50,000 City Of Auckland Free For All at Alexandra Park on Friday night.
It’s common knowledge just how good the horse can be – he was a Jewels winner at three and ran second in the New Zealand Cup at four.
But when he lined up and won at Cambridge on January 24, it had been 15 months – and 18 starts – since his last victory.
He was always thereabouts, mixing good placings with average efforts, and it was starting to wear on Purdon.
“He sat in the one-one here before Christmas and went terrible.
“He had a bit of a high temperature after that, so I excused it, and then I thought he went ok again in the Auckland Cup.
“From a wide draw he used a bit of petrol early and then got held up on the turn.
“But then we went to Cambridge for the Flying Mile and I was highly disappointed, to be honest.
“It had me scratching my head.”
Regular driver Zachary Butcher seemingly agreed and jumped off at his next start, also at Cambridge, in favour of stablemate On The Cards.
Longtime Purdon stable worker, Scott Phelan, jumped in the cart and the new combination have been unstoppable since.
Purdon modestly suggests it’s just “a confidence thing” with the horse that has seen his fortunes turn around.
“That first win at Cambridge, we put the half-blinds on him and he won from the trail.
“It gave him a bit of confidence and he hasn’t looked back since.”
Purdon also notes that there has been a lack of horses co-trained by his brother, Mark, in any of the fields Jack’s Legend has recently beaten.
“I think it’s fair to say they’ve been a touch easier than what he raced in the two Cups and in Spring.
“But he still had to sit outside Star Galleria and beat him tonight, and that’s not something he’s done before.”
It’s true – Jack’s Legend has proven himself to be lethal off a sit, but doing it hard is not his forte.
Phelan said it was a case of ‘hope and pray’ tonight.
“It’s something we thought we’d try but probably wouldn’t work.
“But he’s so full of confidence and feeling brave that he dug deep and won.
“He looks a million dollars too; he’s in a great place right now.”
As for future plans, Purdon says a trip to Canterbury is the logical – and only realistic – option.
“We’d be happy enough racing here at Auckland in $25,000 Free For Alls, but I there is a $50,000 race at Addington at the end of the month for four and five-year-olds that will suit him nicely.
“Then there is the Easter Cup ($100,000) a week later and we might even look at the Rangiora Classic ($30,000) the week after that.
“He’s racing so well, we’d be silly not to go down and have a crack, I think.”
Stablemate On The Cards was close-up in second while Star Galleria battled on for third, narrowly ahead of Recco Lover, who had trailed.

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