Master Mark returns to Addington with some heavy firepower
Matt Markham - Raceform • September 4th, 2025 3:00 PM • 4 min read
Addington Raceway has been the scene of some of Purdon's most magical moments in the sport, but opportunities to step out onto harness racing’s spiritual home have been few and far between in recent years. In fact, you need to go back to November of 2023 to find the last time he saluted there, when Oscar Bonavena claimed Group One glory in the NZ Trotting Free-For-All.
Now based in the north, Purdon has elected to remain there over the past 18 months and limit his trips back down to Canterbury, instead using drivers like Blair Orange to handle the duties in his absence.
But, with some heavy assignments approaching and some serious horsepower at his disposal, he’s back in business this week and looking to end what feels like one of the most unlikely droughts going around.
“It’ll be good to be back out there, it’s always great to drive at Addington,” Purdon told RaceForm.
The master horseman, along with his training partner and son Nathan, line up an imposing team at HQ this week including two of the leading chances in the biggest races of the night. Comeback kid Akuta takes his next step in the Avon City Ford New Brighton Cup while Oscar Bonavena begins his Dominion Handicap campaign in the ITM Ordeal Cup.
Akuta is the one who has added a bit of pep in the step of Purdon though, as the brilliant pacer continues to tick every box in his return to racing following a serious injury which sidelined him for over a year.
After a solid third first-up, Akuta won his next start at Addington, which everyone behind his recovery and return to racing is without doubt labelling a career highlight.
“It wasn’t so much the winning, I think – more the fact he did win given everything he’d been through. I do believe the fact it was an injury and not a stress-related issue has really helped, but the work Tony Shaw has done with him cannot be understated.
“So far, it’s been perfect. He’s healthy and sound and continuing to improve.”
Purdon’s chosen the path of taking on the devil he knows well in terms of Akuta’s IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup preparation, bringing him down to Canterbury early with the view to ensuring he’s given every possibility leading into November.
“It is a path I know well. There’s just so many more opportunities for those types of horses down here leading into the Cup, whereas up north you can be a bit beholden to others and end up starting off handicaps which is so tough.”
Given he ran second to Swayzee in the 2023 Cup, there’s no doubting Akuta has the brilliance to be a contender, but does the man who knows him best believe he can get him back to that level and form?
“Absolutely I do. I can’t see any reason, given how well he’s handling everything at the moment, that we won’t, and by November he will have had a strong body of racing.”
Friday night will be a good first test in the south, but it’s one Purdon isn’t putting too much weight on. Handed barrier one for the standing start event, which carries an automatic entry into the Cup, there’s some strong, hardened Cup contenders as well as an up-and-comer in We Walk By Faith who was impressive in a recent Rangiora trial.
“I think he’ll go close if he gets his chance, but it will without doubt be tougher than what he faced up in the North Island.
“I’d expect him to run a great race though, especially if we can get away well from the stand and land in a good position.”
Oscar Bonavena returns after his Queensland Inter Dominion campaign in the Ordeal Cup and, with a trial under his belt – one that perhaps didn’t look ideal to the eye – he’s also primed for Friday night.
“I wasn’t disappointed with the run or anything. He was in front and he wanted to run down the back. Knowing he only had a 400-metre sprint in him, I let him run and then didn’t push him.
“He’s really well and I think, even at 85 to 90 per cent fitness, he’s probably good enough to win this week if things work out for him during the running.”
One thing Oscar and another of the Purdon Racing stars, Rubira, will have on their side come Friday night is looks. A few months in the Queensland sun has their coats well advanced heading into spring and both look sensational according to Purdon.
Rubira resumes in the Ian Dobson Memorial Johnny Globe Classic after finishing a very impressive second to Merlin in the same trial Oscar Bonavena competed in.
“He was great through the line in that trial. He’s really flourished since returning home from Queensland and we’re excited to get into this campaign with him.”
Drawn the outside of the front line with some in-form and quality pacers like Bar Louie, Got The Chocolates and Always Dreaming to his inside, the task won’t be easy, but Purdon wasn’t holding back on the confidence levels.
“I think he’ll be awfully hard to beat, even from the draw.”
Midnight Miki steps out in the same race after a strong first-up win, but will need to be even better again this week according to his co-trainer, while Treacherous Baby looks a leading chance as well in an intermediate grade race (Race 6) where they look set to run along strongly.
