Wallace hopes it's a family affair with Purezza at Ipswich

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Paul Wallace is hopeful Toowoomba mare Purezza can make it back-to-back wins at Ipswich on Thursday ahead of a looming career in the breeding barn next season.

Purezza claimed her fourth career win when she dead-heated with the Lyn Baskett-trained The Louvre in an 1100 metre Class 3 Handicap at Toowoomba on October 18.

The six-year-old mare has only had 27 starts but will likely be sold at the end of her current campaign.

She is owned by Wallace’s wife Sandra.

“I’m not one to get involved in breeding so we’ll probably sell her when it’s time for her to finish up,” Wallace said.

Wallace, who used to sell mowers for a living, is reluctant to breed from Purezza who is a half-sister to his useful sprinter Ned’s Gully.

“I’d rather sell her than get involved in breeding,” Wallace said.

“Buying another horse is better for me than spending all that time breeding.”

Purezza was entered for the Class 5 Handicap over 1200 metres and the Benchmark 60 Handicap over 1100 metres but Wallace favoured starting in the latter with Olivia Webb to ride.

“I think she’s better suited in the Benchmark race as it looks an easier race,” Wallace said.

“She’d be competitive in either race.”

Ned’s Gully and Purezza are out of the former Desleigh Forster-trained mare Amizade.

Amizade won three of her 16 starts before being retired to the breeding barn.

“Doug Forbes and Jason Fogarty raced Amizade and bred Ned’s Gully and Purezza from her,” Wallace said.

The seven-year-old Ned’s Gully is about a month away from returning to racing, but Wallace has no major plans in mind with the son of Bel Esprit.

“Ned’s Gully has about a month to go before he races but we’re not looking at anything in particular with him over the summer,” Wallace said.

“We’ll be happy just to get more prizemoney."

Ned’s Gully ran in the King Of The Mountain at Toowoomba last campaign and finished seventh to the Tony and Maddysen Sears-trained Steady Ready.

“He started in the King Of The Mountain but it was a heavy track which flattened him,” Wallace said.

Ned’s Gully is a seven-time winner and finished second to Newcastle sprinter Bubba’s Bay in last year’s Listed Keith Noud at Doomben.

Wallace’s biggest win of his training career was with Drunken Joker who won the Group 3 Doomben Classic over 1615 metres in 2004.