Cold Chisel's (NZ) Powerful Display in Group One Northern Derby

Cold Chisel (NZ) (Always B Miki) produced an outstanding carbon copy victory in the $203,000 Group One Woodlands Northern Derby (2700m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

The NZB Standardbred powered along the inner to win the classic event, just as Merlin (NZ) (Art Major) did last year for the same connections in trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan, driver Zachary Butcher and owner Dean Shannon of Montana Park.

Shannon purchased Cold Chisel for $100,000 from breeder-vendors Mark and Pauline O’Connor of Denario Breeding at the 2022 National Yearling Sale at Christchurch.

 Butcher put Cold Chisel in the perfect position to strike on Friday night.

After working to hold the lead early in the race, the reinsman elected to take a trail behind Christopher Dance (NZ) (A Rocknroll Dance) with a lap to go.

And that move proved to be a winning one, as Cold Chisel extended beautifully to win New Zealand’s first derby of the season.

“He got a nice draw and a nice run, Zac was calm as usual and just got him up the fence and just got the other horse on the line,” Barry Purdon said.

“He went good, he did it at both ends of the race and it is always a good effort when you can do that.”

Cold Chisel has been a star since first hitting the race track early last year for the Purdon-Phelan barn.

The pacer won his first start in a group race when taking out the Group Two Young Guns Cardigan Bay Stakes (1700m) and he has only got better since.

“We always thought he might be a bit better with a bit more time, even though he won the Cardigan Bay Stakes as a two-year-old,” Purdon said.

“He has acquitted himself well, he has always been around the best ones – the best one or two in the country.”

“We always thought if he got the right run he would be right there in a derby.”

Cold Chisel wore down a game leader in Christopher Dance, who fought hard in the homestraight for trainers Logan Hollis and Shane Robertson and driver Tony Herlihy.

We Walk By Faith (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) charged home when he got clear late in the run home to take third, sealing a trifecta of NZB Standardbred graduates in the Group One Northern Derby.

Friday night’s classic event demonstrated that NZB Standardbred’s sales are the number one source of elite level racehorses in Australasia.

12 of the Northern Derby’s field of 13 starters were purchased from NZB Standardbred’s sales ring.