Memories May Be Made By This

October 23 2025

Purdon Racing is looking toward a huge weekend of racing but there will be special interest in one of the early contenders-ARDEN’S MEMORY in the 6.47 at Alexandra Park Friday.

The beautifully bred Bettor’s Delight-Venus Serena mare,bred and raced by the John and Judy Stiven and family,long time supporters of the stable,has not raced since last December when she ran second in a three year old fillies event at Invercargill.

Her spring campaign had started promisingly with two wins in August and September, the latter in a Nevele R heat, but she battled in the later Group One assignments  the Nevele R and the NZ Oaks.

“She finished back in those but she didn’t have a lot of luck either. She just lacked the high speed needed in those sort of races.”

Deciding time was her ally  the filly returned to the Stivens in Southland so she could get over a few niggling problems and await maturity to produce her best following a letup.

“I was sure time was on her side and if she could develop that speed when more mature she could go a lot further. The family love her and she had  workouts for John and Judy through the winter . I thought they may want her to stay in the south  to race but they wanted to send her back to us.She has had two workouts and should be pretty ready. She will improve though on anything she does this week”

The Stivens had purchased Venus Serena from Bob Sandford after he had bred the first foal, the well performed Lava a horse that did well as a youngster but thrived later.The Stiven’s Rock n Roll Arden, a Purdon-trained runner, had been one of Venus Serena’s toughest opponents in her racing days, and Arden’s Memory will eventually join the squad at the stud.

South Coast Arden and Arden’s Darlin are  just some of the other  big winners trained by the Purdons for the Stivens owing a good deal to the earlier broodmare, Winter Rose.

Arden’s Memory’s name has a tragic tinge since John and Judy lost a son, Lee, overseas in 2020 which gave the filly her name and an added presence around the place. Another of Venus Serena’s offspring, which the Stivens race in partnership with Stonewall Stud, has won three from five most recently at Ashburton.

Nathan is hoping that with the expected improvement now likely Arden’s Memory she could handle assignments like the Standardbred Breeder’s Stakes at Addington in January a race won by her dam in 2015.

Pic: The Stiven family with an earlier star, Group One winner Arden’s Choice