Purvis hopes to target Country Cup Challenge with Strathcona

By Glenn Davis

Young Townsville trainer Megan Purvis hopes to head to Brisbane for the Country Cups Challenge Final if bargain buy Strathcona continues his dominant form at Cluden Park on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Purvis leads a busy life training a small team of five horses while also working full-time as a personal assistant to the principal and vice-principal at Townsville State High School.

“I get up at 2.30am and I’m not back home until about 7pm after feeding the horses,” Purvis said.

Purvis was born in state’s South East at St George but grew up at Talwood before her love of horses saw her become a stable hand in Toowoomba.

“I worked as a stable hand for Lindsay Hatch then I started riding trackwork for Graham Banks and Pat Sexton,” Purvis said.

“I then moved from Dalby to Townsville about three years ago and I’ve had my trainers’ licence for about two years.”

Purvis pulled the right reign when she paid $13,000 for Strathcona when the son of Vancouver was put up for sale by NSW trainer Brett Cavanough.

“He’s done a great job and he’s won close to $100,000 for me since I bought him,” she said.

Purvis has had 186 starters during her career for a strike rate of 9.7 per cent with 18 wins and 39 placings.

“I’ve always had a passion for horses and the only time I’ve had off was when I did my knee and hurt my ACL,” she said.

“I did it falling off a motorbike and I had to give away training for about a year and stopped riding work.”

Purvis accepted with Strathcona in the Open Handicap over 1400 metres and the Benchmark 65 over 1609 metres but has had a late change of mind with a possible cyclone threatening the North Queensland coast.

“I was going to run in the Benchmark race but with 63kgs and with the wet weather coming it might be a bit much for him so he’ll run in the Open Handicap,” she said.

The six-year-old has won three of his past four starts and is coming off a dominant win in an Open Handicap at Cairns last month.

“His last win was very good when he beat Inching Closer and Battle Cry,” she said.

“He won his first race in nearly a year when he won on Melbourne Cup day at Townsville last November and his form since has been great.

“I’d like to think he’ll measure up later for the Country Cups Challenge Final in Brisbane so I’ll target the qualifying races up this way with him after this.”