BLAZE STAMINA

22nd February 2017

Tough four-year-old Blaze Stamina provided the highlight for Price Bloodstock when he took away his third win in characteristic gutsy style on Wednesday night.

The Tony Cruz-trained gelding doesn’t do it pretty – he has had to overcome problems in running in all his wins to date and hasn’t put up fancy margins but is still putting together a steady record of success and took his earnings past $2.6 million winning the Class 3 over 1,200m under Zac Purton.

But Purton wasn’t taking too much credit for the victory after Blaze Stamina raced three wide around the field throughout the race, normally a huge disadvantage at Happy Valley’s turning circuit.

“I couldn’t get in closer and I was ready to apologize to Tony for the ride but after the number went up, I came in and he told me it was perfect!” laughed Purton.

Cruz was in the all’s well that ends well camp after the victory but noted how well Blaze Stamina has raced in the past when factors were against him.

“You don’t see that too often, racing wide at this track and winning, so you have to give him credit for that,” said Cruz after the narrow win. “But he has won and placed like that a couple of times. When he has had a good draw and an easy run, it doesn’t seem to have helped him. So I guess that’s a good thing to know if he draws out that he can still do it tough in the run and win.”