Luxury Liner on target

Press, 12 October 1988, Page 45

Luxury Liner on target

Special correspondent Auckland Luxury Liner’s scintillating win at Cambridge on Monday night proved he is right on target to run the race of his life in the $375,000 New Zealand Cup next month. Both co-trainer, Barry Purdon, and driver, Tony Herlihy, could not have been more pleased with Luxury Liner after the gelding’s track record smashing effort in the John Galvin and Associates’ Free-for-all.

Luxury Liner, according to Purdon, will have three more starts before the

D.B. Draught-sponsored New Zealand Cup at Addington on November

He will start on both nights of the Auckland Trotting Club’s October meeting (October 18 and 22) and then, all going well, in the Kaikoura Cup at Kaikoura on October 31.

“He had been going very well at Sunday workouts lately and we were confident he would go a big race tonight,” said Purdon. “I am very happy with him and he’s right on schedule to be at Addington in peak condition.” Luxury Liner showed

all of his customary brilliance and grit when disposing of Lord Lenny, Kylie’s Hero and company easily.

The ease with which Luxury Liner completed the task belied the hectic speed at which he had travelled.

Luxury Liner’s time of 3:13.5 for the mobile 2600 metres carved 4.3 s from Kylie’s Hero’s track record. He covered the distance at a mile rate of 1:59.7.

His time compared favourably with Lightning Blue’s New Zealand and world record of 3:12.9.