Group 3 win for Purple Sector (NZ)

$60,000 Premier Sale graduate Purple Sector (NZ) (Pins) took his career to a new level with a dominant performance in Saturday’s A$140,000 Group 3 National Road Safety Week Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben.

The John Thompson-trained colt had already proven himself in elite three-year-old company, running second in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) and third in the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) and Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m). He also finished fourth in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) and Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m).

All that was missing was a black-type win, and he ticked that box in style on Saturday.

Ridden by Blake Shinn, Purple Sector sat in second or third for most of the race and was travelling smoothly approaching the home turn. He cruised to the lead at the top of the straight and kicked away, winning easily by two and a quarter lengths.

Purple Sector has now had 13 starts for two wins, four placings and A$203,750 in prize-money – more than three times his purchase price at Karaka.

“We wanted to spell him in Queensland, so we picked out this race to aim at before he went out,” Thompson said after Saturday’s win.

“It worked out nicely. He had a good barrier, a good run throughout the race and I was confident from the jump.

“He suffered a few heavy tracks down south and got a bad check in the Rosehill Guineas, but he got a lovely run today and that made the difference.”

Shinn supports the decision to send Purple Sector out for a winter spell, and he is looking forward to seeing what he can do in the spring.

“It's easy to say push on to the Queensland Derby, and no doubt he'd be a great chance,” he said. “But he (Thompson) is trying to create his own destiny for the horse, and he could be a really good spring carnival contender.”

Purple Sector’s dam, Eden Valley (NZ) (Zabeel), was bought for just $10,000 at last year’s May Sale by the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry. This year’s edition of the May Sale will be held at Karaka on May 17.