True Fantasy (NZ) Heads Stellar 3YO Fillies Harness Million Field
12 February 2022
True Fantasy (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) heads a star field set to vie for honours in the Listed $150,000 NZB Standardbred Harness Million 3YO Fillies Final (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Saturday night.
The Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen-trained pacer will return to the scene of her three career Group One victories in the hope of adding the lucrative feature to her exceptional resume.
Since her purchase out of the Studholme Bloodstock draft at the 2020 Christchurch National Yearling Sale by prominent owner Jean Feiss, True Fantasy has taken top billing among her age group which will see her start favourite for the race.
Freshened after her last start Group One victory, True Fantasy has trialled ahead of her Harness Million assignment and is ready to make a big impact.
“She has had a couple of trials and I have been very pleased with her,” Mark Purdon said.
“She is forward and her work has been very good, so I would expect her to be very hard to beat.”
True Fantasy starts from Barrier 2, with Dannemora (NZ) (Betting Line) drawn to her inside in Barrier 1.
The ace draw should give the Tom Bagrie-trained filly every hope of taking home her share of the lucrative $150,000 Harness Million 3YO Fillies Final stake.
Purchased by her trainer from the Macca Lodge draft at the 2020 Christchurch National Yearling Sale, Dannemora won nicely at Alexandra Park last week.
A stellar last start effort when third behind True Fantasy in Group One company has Lady Of The Light (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) primed for a big effort on Saturday night.
The filly was a $16,000 purchase at the 2020 Auckland National Yearling Sale by trainer Jeremy Young from Woodlands Stud’s draft.
Lady Of The Light, who starts from Barrier 6, has been highly impressive in winning the first five of her seven career starts.
Lady Of The Light was followed across the line in the Group One Sires Stakes Fillies Championship by another contender in Miki Montana (NZ) (Always B Miki).
Offered by Alabar Farms, the filly was purchased by Dean Shannon’s Montana Park for $22,000 at the Auckland National Yearling Sale in 2020.
The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained filly has gone on to win her last start stylishly at Cambridge.
Trainer-driver Bob Butt and Cover Girl (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) return to Alexandra Park seeking a Harness Million double.
The filly zipped along the inner to beat True Fantasy in last year’s Listed $150,000 NZB Standardbred Harness Million 2YO Fillies Final (2200m).
Cover Girl, secured from the Breckon Farms draft for $95,000 starts from the outside of the front line.
The Listed $150,000 NZB Standardbred Harness Million 3YO Fillies Final (2200m) will be run as Race 3 at 8:46PM (NZT) at Alexandra Park on Saturday 12 February.
Meanwhile, Highgrove (NZ) (Love You) will be out to clinch a Harness Million double in Friday night’s $75,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Three-Year-old Trot (2200m) at Alexandra Park.
The trotter was a $34,000 purchase by trainers Robert and Jenna Dunn’s Diamond Racing from Laura Smith’s Christchurch draft at the National Yearling Sale in 2020.
Among a standout two-year-old season, Highgrove clinched his richest win in the $75,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Two-Year-old Trot (1980m) at Addington.
John Dunn will takes the reins behind the three-year-old in his quest for back to back Harness Million titles on Saturday night.
2022 Harness Million 3YO Fillies Field
| Barrier | Horse | Driver | Trainer | Sale | Purchaser | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dance Till Dawn (NZ) | John Dunn | Robert Dunn | 2020 Christchurch Yearling Sale, $40,000 | Diamond Racing | Broadfield Lodge |
| 2 | Cover Girl (NZ) | Bob Butt | Bob Butt | 2020 Auckland Yearling Sale, $95,000 | Mr M J Anderson | Breckon Farms |
| 3 | The Iron Lady (NZ) | Logan Hollis | Logan Hollis & Shane Robertson | 2020 Auckland Yearling Sale, $10,000 | Breckon Farms | The Iron Lady |
| 4 | Chevrons Bypass (NZ) | Tony Herlihy | Robert Dunn | 2019 Auckland All Age Sale, $22,000, 2020 Christchurch Yearling Sale, $32,500 | Kentuckiana Lodge, Small Car World | L. F. Daly |
| 5 | I'llavabubbles (NZ) | Dylan Ferguson | Graeme Rogerson | 2020 Auckland Yearling Sale, $16,000 | Rogerson Bloodstock | Breckon Farms |
| 6 | Montana Glory (NZ) | Scott Phelan | Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan | 2019 All Age Sale, $24,000 | Montana Park | Alabar |
| 7 | Miki Montana (NZ) | Zachary Butcher | Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan | 2019 All Age Sale, $22,000 | Montana Park | Alabar |
| 8 | True Fantasy (NZ) | Natalie Rasmussen | Hayden Cullen | 2020 Christchurch Yearling Sale, $70,000 | Mrs J L Feiss | Studholme Bloodstock |