Cup golden ticket up for grabs in Holmes D G
Garrick Knight - Raceform • October 2nd, 2025 3:00 PM • 4 min read
Master horseman Barry Purdon is expecting a bounce-back performance from he and Scott Phelan’s stable star Merlin on Friday night.
The winner of more than $1.5 million was a beaten favourite in the Spring Cup when resuming a fortnight ago, finishing third behind in-form stablemate Sooner The Bettor.
Speaking on The Box Seat on Tuesday, Purdon conceded Merlin may have caught he and Phelan off guard.
“I thought he got a pass mark,” said Purdon. “Being a stallion, he probably just needed it. Sometimes they can fool you, stallions – you can think they’re ready and they’re just that run short.
“His work is really good. We gave him a decent run along here on Saturday and he worked terrific, so we think he’ll be up to the mark this week.”
Watch Tuesday night's episode of The Box Seat:
The Box Seat, 30 September
For the first time, the Gr. 3 TAB Holmes D G carries added pressure for the connections of its nine starters, with the winner receiving a golden-ticket entry into next month’s $1 million New Zealand Trotting Cup.
With multiple lead-up races in Canterbury carrying automatic entry every year, the decision was made to give northern horses their own pathway.
“Addington were keen to see the North Island involved with an automatic Cup qualification, and the Holmes D G was the logical fit given its timing and its role as a springboard into the Canterbury spring features,” said Matt Peden, racing and wagering manager at Harness Racing New Zealand.
“That’s been reflected in a deep, quality field on Friday night, with Merlin chasing back-to-back wins after taking it out in 2024. It’s a great example of the collaboration we’re seeing across clubs nationally.”
Merlin is currently the highest-ranked horse without automatic entry at spot six, and it’s simply not possible for him to miss the final field short of injury or illness.
So, while a win for him is the most likely scenario, for Purdon and Phelan the best result would actually be a win for one of Merlin’s stablemates who are in a fight for their Cup spot.
Sooner The Bettor, who is two-from-two so far this campaign, is ranked 12 while Better Knuckle Up (21), Cold Chisel (22) and Jeremiah (30) require more decisive performances to leapfrog into the final field.
While it’s nice to romanticise one of them booking their spot, Purdon only has eyes for their stable star.
“I’d probably favour Merlin this week, I really would.”
Purdon confirmed all five would head south and be split between the Ashburton Flying Stakes (October 27) and Kaikoura Cup (November 3), with the three lower-ranked tackling the former.
Also on Friday night, the stable’s most promising two-year-old, War Chief, makes his southern debut in a Sires Stakes heat at Addington.
“He’s a lovely horse. He’s got a good attitude and is quite strong and tough.”
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