Alexandra Park Race 8

AUCKLAND TROTTING CLUB - HERE FOR THE HORSE MOB PACE

Prize Money: -

AKUTA (5) made a nice return at his latest appearance two weeks ago, finishing 2.75 metres away in third over 1700m at this track. Meets a comparable field so he can keep the ball rolling. JEREMIAH (3) resumes from a spell of four months after closing off last campaign in good form, scoring at his last appearance over 2200m at this track. Generally comes to hand very quickly, with three wins from four first-up appearances. Likely to get all the favours from this nice draw. Sure to be right there at the finish. THE SURFER (4) is in the mix at his first run since finishing runner-up over 3200m at Addington three months ago. BETTER KNUCKLE UP (2) resumes from a spell and fresh-up from the inside draw should prove hard to beat.

Distance: 1700m
Class: R67 & faster
Track: fast
Weather: fine
Surface: All Weather

Racing and Sports™ Trusted form provider for 20+ years

Better Knuckle Up (Fr2) 0473x
Trainer: Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan (Clevedon)
Driver: Crystal Hackett (J)
Prize Money: -
Win / Place: 31% / 57%

Track Specialist

4 yo Bay Horse

Sire: Bettor's Delight

Dam: Bare Knuckle

Dam's Sire: Raging Bull

Rating

Stats

Career

19: 6-1-4

Distance

9: 3-0-2

Trk/Dst

1: 0-0-1

Track

12: 5-1-2

1st Up

5: 3-0-0

2nd Up

4: 2-0-2

3rd Up

3: 0-1-0

Metro

15: 5-1-3

Non-Metro

4: 1-0-1

Mobile

19: 6-1-4

All-Weather

16: 6-1-4

Best Mile

1:53.30

Gear Changes

[Removable Deafeners, Blinds]

Comments

Resumes. His previous first-up run was successful when he won by a 0.5 m as favourite (Fr5) at this track (1:57.40) beating Artisan in 3yo+ on August 30 at $1.30. May need the outing and prefer others this time.

Expected Settling Position: Leader

Last Starts days since last start

Place	Date	Track	Distance	Start	Surface	Barrier	Driver	Race Time	Mile Rate	Margin	SP	Days	Class	Prize	Prize Won	Result
3rd of 10	8/3/25	Menangle	1609m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr5	Gavin Fitzpatrick	1:49.20	1:49.2	5.0m	$6.00	7	NR up to 90	$25,000	$2,750	1. Dashing 2. Our Luciano 3. Better Knuckle Up
7th of 10	1/3/25	Menangle	1609m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr7	Gavin Fitzpatrick	1:49.10	1:49.1	9.3m	$23	14	No NR	$250,000	$3,750	1. Bay Of Biscay 2. Charge Ahead 3. Major Hot
4th of 10	15/2/25	Menangle	1609m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr6	Gavin Fitzpatrick	1:49.80	1:49.8	10.8m	$5.00	57	No NR	$50,000	$3,000	1. Bay Of Biscay 2. War Dan Buddy 3. Major Hot
57 Day Freshen-Up
12th of 12	20/12/24	Auckland	1609m	Mobile	All Weather	Sr12	Crystal Hackett	1:55.0	1:55.0	20.4m	$6.10	14	3YO MOB. PACE	-	-	1. Duchess Megxit 2. Jeremiah 3. Iron Brigade
6th of 14	6/12/24	NZ Metro	2600m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr4	Zachary Butcher	1:58.1	1:58.1	17.2m	$2.90	21	3YO MOB. PACE	-	-	1. We Walk By Faith 2. Vessem 3. Harrison John
1st of 10	15/11/24	NZ Metro	1980m	Mobile	All Weather	Sr9	Zachary Butcher	2:23.1	1:56.2	4.3m	$18	18	3YO MOB. PACE	-	-	1. Better Knuckle Up 2. Chase A Dream 3. Harrison John

Jeremiah (Fr3) 52x1x
Trainer: Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan (Clevedon)
Driver: Zachary Butcher
Prize Money: -
Win / Place: 37% / 68%

Track Specialist

4 yo Black Gelding

Sire: Lazarus

Dam: Flyover

Dam's Sire: Live Or Die

Rating

Stats

Career

16: 6-3-2

Distance

4: 1-1-0

Trk/Dst

1: 0-0-0

Track

12: 5-2-2

1st Up

4: 3-0-0

2nd Up

2: 1-0-1

3rd Up

2: 1-1-0

Metro

12: 5-2-2

Non-Metro

4: 1-1-0

Mobile

16: 6-3-2

All-Weather

16: 6-3-2

Slushy

1: 0-0-0

Best Mile

1:55.20

Gear Changes

[Removable Deafeners]

Comments

Returns after four months in the paddock. Scored at his only run last preparation recording by 4 m (Fr4) at this track (2:44.00) beating The Surfer in on May 2 at $2.20. Likely to go well from the low draw.

Expected Settling Position: Pace

Last Starts days since last start

Place	Date	Track	Distance	Start	Surface	Barrier	Driver	Race Time	Mile Rate	Margin	SP	Days	Class	Prize	Prize Won	Result
1st of 5	2/5/25	Auckland	2200m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr4	Zachary Butcher	2:44.0	1:59.9	4.0m	$2.70	133	R55 to R73 MOB. PACE	-	-	1. Jeremiah 2. The Surfer 3. Little Spike
133 Day Spell
2nd of 12	20/12/24	Auckland	1609m	Mobile	All Weather	Sr11	Scott Phelan	1:55.0	1:55.0	3.5m	$8.10	14	3YO MOB. PACE	-	-	1. Duchess Megxit 2. Jeremiah 3. Iron Brigade
5th of 14	6/12/24	NZ Metro	2600m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr7	Scott Phelan	1:58.1	1:58.1	16.4m	$17	21	3YO MOB. PACE	-	-	1. We Walk By Faith 2. Vessem 3. Harrison John
4th of 10	15/11/24	NZ Metro	1980m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr4	Scott Phelan	1:56.2	1:56.2	8.9m	$6.20	18	3YO MOB. PACE	-	-	1. Better Knuckle Up 2. Chase A Dream 3. Harrison John
2nd of 13	28/10/24	Ashburton	1700m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr7	Tony Herlihy	1:52.8	1:52.8	3.5m	$2.90f	24	3YO C&G MOB. PACE	-	-	1. Dreams Are Free 2. Jeremiah 3. Better Knuckle Up
1st of 8	4/10/24	Auckland	2200m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr7	Zachary Butcher	2:42.2	1:58.6	1.1m	$2.00f	13	3YO+ R54 to R64, R65 to R70 with cond. MOB. PACE	-	-	1. Jeremiah 2. Mako 3. The Surfer

The Surfer (Fr4) 31212
Trainer: Arna Donnelly (Cambridge)
Driver: Samantha Ottley
Prize Money: -
Win / Place: 24% / 51%

4 yo Bay Gelding

Sire: Downbytheseaside

Dam: Styx On

Dam's Sire: Art Major

Rating

Stats

Career

29: 7-6-2

Distance

3: 0-0-0

Trk/Dst

3: 0-0-0

Track

14: 2-3-1

1st Up

4: 1-1-0

2nd Up

4: 2-1-1

3rd Up

3: 0-0-1

Metro

14: 2-3-1

Non-Metro

15: 5-3-1

Mobile

24: 5-4-1

Standing

5: 2-2-1

All-Weather

29: 7-6-2

Slushy

2: 1-1-0

Best Mile

1:56.90

Gear Changes

[Removable Deafeners]

Comments

First up. At the last run he game effort when 2nd (10m 2) over 3200m at Addington, beaten 4 m by Betterthancash (3:59.60) on May 23 at $12. Can open the campaign with a forward performance.

Expected Settling Position: Off Pace

Last Starts days since last start

Place	Date	Track	Distance	Start	Surface	Barrier	Driver	Race Time	Mile Rate	Margin	SP	Days	Class	Prize	Prize Won	Result
2nd of 16	23/5/25	NZ Metro	3200m	Standing	All Weather	10m2	Bob Butt	2:00.4	2:00.4	3.8m	$9.50	8	R50 to R120 SpecHcp PACE	-	-	1. Betterthancash 2. The Surfer 3. Pinseeker
1st of 10	15/5/25	WaikBoP	2700m	Standing	All Weather	30m1	David Butcher	3:24.6	2:01.9	5.6m	$4.90	13	R45 & faster DiscrHcp PACE	-	-	1. The Surfer 2. Little Spike 3. Matai Phil
2nd of 5	2/5/25	Auckland	2200m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr6	Bob Butt	1:59.9	1:59.9	4.0m	$8.90	7	R55 to R73 MOB. PACE	-	-	1. Jeremiah 2. The Surfer 3. Little Spike
1st of 11	25/4/25	Auckland	2200m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr8	Bob Butt	2:39.9	1:56.9	1.1m	$4.80	21	3YO+ Up to & including R70 MOB. PACE	-	-	1. The Surfer 2. Always B You 3. Always B Elite
3rd of 11	4/4/25	WaikBoP	2700m	Standing	All Weather	10m1	David Butcher	2:00.7	2:00.7	2.7m	$3.50	7	R54 & faster DiscrHcp PACE	-	-	1. Matai Phil 2. Boudica 3. The Surfer
1st of 12	28/3/25	WaikBoP	2200m	Standing	All Weather	10m3	Bob Butt	2:43.4	1:59.5	2.2m	$3.10f	14	R50 & faster DiscrHcp PACE	-	-	1. The Surfer 2. Iron Brigade 3. Mhai Surfer Girl

Akuta (Fr5) 223x3
Trainer: Mark & Nathan Purdon (Matamata)
Driver: Mark Purdon
Prize Money: -
Win / Place: 50% / 84%

Track Specialist

1st Up Record

6 yo Bay Gelding

Sire: Bettor's Delight

Dam: Adore To Our Dreams

Dam's Sire: Christian Cullen

100

Rating

Stats

Career

32: 16-6-5

Distance

8: 4-1-1

Trk/Dst

3: 0-1-1

Track

11: 5-1-3

Season

1: 0-0-1

1st Up

6: 3-2-1

2nd Up

5: 1-1-0

3rd Up

5: 3-0-2

Metro

11: 5-1-3

Non-Metro

21: 11-5-2

Mobile

22: 11-4-3

Standing

10: 5-2-2

All-Weather

32: 16-6-4

Slushy

3: 2-0-1

Best Mile

1:51.80

Gear Changes

[Removable Deafeners]

Comments

Having his second run back from a spell. Game effort when 3rd (Fr7) over 1700m at this track, beaten 2.75 m by Treacherous Baby (2:02.80) in 3yo+ on August 8 at $1.70. Looks very hard to beat with that run under his belt.

Expected Settling Position: Midfield

Last Starts days since last start

Place	Date	Track	Distance	Start	Surface	Barrier	Driver	Race Time	Mile Rate	Margin	SP	Days	Class	Prize	Prize Won	Result
3rd of 7	8/8/25	Auckland	1700m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr7	Brooke Wilkins	1:56.2	1:56.2	2.7m	$1.70	586	3YO+, R55 to R115 with cond. MOB. PACE	-	-	1. Treacherous Baby 2. You Little Beauty 3. Akuta
586 Day Spell
3rd of 8	31/12/23	Auckland	2700m	Standing	All Weather	30m1	Mark Purdon	2:01.9	2:01.9	11.8m	$1.60f	44	3YO+ R60 & faster DiscrHcp PACE	-	-	1. Don't Stop Dreaming 2. Old Town Road 3. Akuta
44 Day Freshen-Up
1st of 3	12/12/23	N Cnty TOA	2000m	Mobile		-	Olivia Thornley	-	-	0.0m	$0.00	-	Trial	$0	-	1. Akuta 2. Ron McKinley 3.
2nd of 8	17/11/23	NZ Metro	1980m	Mobile	All Weather	Fr1	Mark Purdon	1:56.7	1:56.7	2.7m	$1.30f	3	FFA MOB. PACE	-	-	1. Self Assured 2. Akuta 3. Beach Ball
2nd of 15	14/11/23	NZ Metro	3200m	Standing	All Weather	Fr15	Mark Purdon	1:58.9	1:58.9	6.2m	$2.50f	15	FFA PACE	-	-	1. Swayzee 2. Akuta 3. Beach Ball
1st of 11	30/10/23	Kaikoura	2400m	Standing	All Weather	Fr2	Olivia Thornley	2:55.9	1:57.9	6.2m	$1.80f	7	FFA PACE	-	-	1. Akuta 2. Old Town Road 3. Krug