Made to order multis with top drivers set to dominate Jewels day at Cambridge

If you’re having trouble sorting out the form for Sunday’s Harness Jewels, you could do worse than follow the top drivers.

We’ve collated the best drives of the four most successful reinsmen in the 13-year history of the Jewels - Mark Purdon (26 wins), Blair Orange (9), David Butcher (7) and Natalie Rasmussen (7).

And we’ve expanded the list to include the country’s leading stable driver John Dunn (2), and the two most prolific winners in history, Tony Herlihy (4) and Maurice McKendry (3).

These seven talented drivers have won 15,861 races between them and on Sunday they look set for a big day at Cambridge.

Only one favourite on the card, Muscle Mountain, to be driven by Ben Hope, does not appear in the list.

Hayden and Amanda Cullen with Bettor Twist after she ran down La Rosa to win the NZ Oaks at her last start. PHOTO: Addington Raceway.Rasmussen has by far the best book of drives and looks set to win three of the first four races with Hayden Cullen’s top trio Amazing Dream ($1.80), Bettor Twist ($1.55) and True Fantasy ($1.25).

Diamond Racing Stables’ John Dunn should offer the most opposition to Rasmussen in the opener, with the speedy Need You Now ($2.50) well placed on the front line to exploit any traffic problems Amazing Dream might suffer from the inside of the second row.

And he drives the hot favourites in races two and five, the Two-Year-Old Ruby with Highgrove ($2) and the Three-Year-Old Ruby with Five Wise Men ($1.75), who showed he can make it eight in a row with a blazing closing sectional of 56.24 when winning his heat at the Cambridge workouts last Saturday.

Rasmussen and Orange both have live chances should Five Wise Men get a rough trip from seven.

Trainer Paul Nairn with Outamyway and Blair Orange after their win in the Harness Million Trot on May 21. PHOTO: Addington Raceway.Orange won a recent hat-trick on Paul Nairn’s tough trotter Outamyway ($7), nicely drawn in three, and Rasmussen is behind the reliable Regal Attire ($6) who pushed Outamyway to a nose in the Harness Million at Addington at his last start.

If Highgrove makes a mistake in the baby trot, superstar reinsmen Orange and Herlihy will be there to capitalise.

Orange pilots Sires’ Stakes Final winner Mystic Max ($2.70) for trainer Michael Purdon and Herlihy drives his own Double Delight ($6) who, while unbeaten in two starts, is at generous odds because she has drawn the outside of the gate, not the worst place to be to avoid any early carnage.

Blair Orange with trainer Michael Purdon after Mystic Max’s last start win in the Sires’ Stakes Final Trot. PHOTO: Addington Raceway.No one has come close to Mark Purdon’s record of driving 26 Jewels winners - he’s notched an incredible 45 training wins as well - but he’ll be watching more races this year than driving in them.

Purdon has one lay down, however, in Akuta, who is white hot at $1.20 to win the Two-Year-Old Emerald, partner Rasmussen on the only real danger Cosmic Major ($6.50).

All eyes will be on Orange driving Krug ($1.90) in the Three-Year-Old Emerald to see what he does from the inside of the second row.

Krug, the best of three top drives for Blair Orange, but he’ll need a lot of luck from the inside of the second row. PHOTO: Addington Raceway.There will be plenty of drivers hoping to benefit from any bad luck he receives with Purdon on Shan Noble ($9.50), Herlihy on Pace N Pride ($13) and Butcher looking for a nice run through behind him on American Dealer ($14).

Herlihy will need all his skills on Bolt For Brilliance ($3.20), his best chance of the day in the Four-Year-Old Ruby, who has drawn three on the second line.

Bolt For Brilliance was sublime at his last start, coming from last at Auckland with a blinding last 800 in 55.7 and 400 in 27.4, running his last mile of 2200 metres in 1:56.7.

Rasmussen, on the other hand, is gifted the pole on the all but forgotten talent American Pride ($9), back to his more favoured left-handed racing.

McKendry, too, will need to muster all his 46 years of experience on Copy That ($2.90) who is firming despite being landed with four on the second row in the final race, the Four-Year-Old Emerald.

His chances hinge on a fast pace and Orange, driving Copy That’s stablemate Tommy Lincoln, a gate flyer, is nicely poised in three to ensure that.

Butcher drives Kango, a big mover in the betting to $4, and Rasmussen is on South Coast Arden ($4.20), both expected to fire plenty of bullets in the opening 400 metres.