Brendan Pursell Set For A Big Night At Hobart With “Team Despicable”
Brendan Pursell is a Tasmanian trainer on the rise and he has a big chance to add to his recent run of form on Thursday night with a strong hand at the Hobart meeting. Pursell's “Team Despicable” loom as major chances to take out two of the GOTBAT division's after impressive showings in the heat's last week.
Getting these dogs was a case of being in the right place at the right time for Pursell and things have been rosy for the Brighton trainer since.
“Mitchell Pryce owns the dogs and sent them down to Mick Stringer who has since gone through the process of winding down his numbers to a much smaller team. He hadn't done anything with Despicable Ben and Matt and I was offered the dogs”, explained Brendan.
“Once those two were going well Mitchell sent me Despicable Lea, who is in the final Thursday night. He also sent me Locky and Chris who haven't had a race yet, but one of those goes pretty good, so we are looking forward to that. I've got 10 dogs in work at the moment; the five Despicable's, Champagne Girl, Allonah, Club Foot, Limbo Maid and Bain's Lane.”
“Champagne Girl and Bain's Lane aren't far away from resuming, whilst Allonah and Club Foot are in on Thursday night as well. Club Foot is another from Mick Stringer that goes well and I expect him to run a good race on Thursday.”
Despicable Lea is the first of Pursell's GOTBAT finalist's after winning her heat impressively in the Division 3 for Juveniles series. She will jump from box two in the final.
“If she jumps like she did in her heat and found the front she will be hard to catch. Howzat Grace has drawn perfectly and is very strong and will be the hardest to beat.”
Pursell will also play a huge hand in the GOTBAT Division 2 for grade four and five dogs after Despicable Ben and Despicable Matt won their respective heats impressively. Despicable Ben ran a best of the night 26.06 and looks the hardest to beat in the final.
“Ben is the better of my chances. He probably would have been suited drawn out wide where he can wind up. Real Caution would be the main threat after his run the other day and Matt is a place chance if things go right, but he will find it hard to beat the other two.”
“Despicable Ben is the best of the three by a country mile on what he's done. He is very strong, but lacks a little in the second split. His run home times are as good as the really good ones and if he can improve a bit early we might have something. I might bring him over to Victoria for one of the heat and finals at The Meadows on a Wednesday or Sandown on a Sunday.”
“If he happens to win on Thursday night and everything is well we might trial next week at The Meadows and see how he goes. At least there is no excuses that way, if he has seen the track and been through the travel process we will be ready to go. He isn't fool-proof early, so I think a trial is crucial. It would be different if he was a flying machine early and landed on the lure, but he is what he is.”
This attention to detail is sure to see Pursell with a big win in Victoria sooner rather than later.