Meant To Be (NZ) Confirms Top Trotting Status With Dual Group One Win

Meant To Be (NZ) (Father Patrick) confirmed his status as New Zealand's best two-year-old trotter in the $100,000 Group One Ace Of Clubs (1980m) at Addington on Friday night.

The NZB Standardbred graduate completed a hat-trick of elite victories when clearing out to win by a massive 17-length margin for trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan and driver Zachary Butcher.

Butcher felt Meant To Be was in the mood to run as soon as he stepped onto the Addington racetrack.

So much so that the reinsman gave the trotter a stirring preliminary just to keep him settled.

“I wouldn’t say fired up, but he was on the job today,” said Butcher.

“So, I tried to take a bit of sting out of him before the start, he is better off trotting than getting fizzed up and doing something wrong.”

Meant To Be’s dominant display completed a Group One double, with the blueblood squaregaiter taking out the Group One Sires Stakes Championship (1980m) in his latest outing at Addington.

The win also completed a lucrative hat-trick with Meant To Be also triumphing in the $75,000 NZB Standardbred Harness Million Two-Year-Old Trot (1980m) at Addington.

Though the end of a brilliant two-year-old season is in sight, Meant To Be has one last target.

The Purdon-Phelan camp has another $100,000 feature in the sights of their trotting star.

“He is going to go home, he has got the Golden Gait Series and then he can have a well-deserved spell,” Phelan said.

The son of Father Patrick was secured by his trainers at the 2023 National Yearling Sale at Auckland for $145,000 out of the Breckon Farms draft.

With his feature race treble, Meant To Be’s career earnings went to just short of $200,000 for owners Katrina Purdon and the Clear View Racing No.6 Syndicate.

Breckon Farms will again offer an outstanding draft at the 2025 National Yearling Sale at Karaka on February 25.

Among their draft of bluebloods is Lot 23, a What The Hill (USA) colt from Meant To Be’s family.The colt is from Luby Ann (NZ) (Andover Hall), a half-sister to Meant To Be’s dam Luby Lou (NZ) (Muscle Hill).

Vendor	Breckon Farms Ltd
Purchaser	Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan Racing Stables
Breeding	Father Patrick - Luby Lou Brown Colt
Sale	National Standardbred Yearling Sale, Auckland $145,000
Breeder	Breckon Farms Ltd