Don’t Stop Dreaming clinches stakes success

A pinpoint Olivia Thornley drive helped Don’t Stop Dreaming (Bettor’s Delight) score a stakes-winning harness racing debut in the $46,000 Group Two Macca Lodge Kindergarten Stakes (1609m) at Wyndham last week.

Thornley enjoyed her biggest success in the sulky when the Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen trained pacer dashed along the inner to win.

Don’t Stop Dreaming was purchased by the All Stars Racing Stable for $250,000 at NZB Standardbred’s 2021 Christchurch National Yearling Sale from Studholme Bloodstock’s draft.

Thornley was entrusted with handling the red-hot $1.30 favourite by Purdon and Cullen and the pacer’s owners Mark and Dennis Dunford and Ian Dobson.

The reinswoman repaid that faith with a winning result, her first in a stakes race.

“It’s very special,” Thornley said. “To have that status of winning a group race, I’m happy to be able to do that.”
“He did it pretty easy in the finish. I’m grateful to Mark and Hayden and the owners, Mark and Dennis Dunford and Ian Dobson, to be able to drive a horse of his quality.

“He’s quite highly rated in our barn and I was lucky enough to get the drive, she said.”

Thornley had Don’t Stop Dreaming in front soon after the start before taking a trail behind his stablemate OK Boomer (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight).

The 22-year-old decided to put her trust in her horse’s dynamic turn of foot and it proved a winning move.

“I thought my fellow would have the upper hand up the passing lane. He’s a pretty casual fellow and you have to keep on top of him.”

“As soon as I pulled the plugs and hit the passing lane, he just had a whole lot of gears left.”

OK Boomer fought on strongly in the home straight to finish third for the Purdon-Cullen stable and driver Jonny Cox.

The two-year-old was purchased for $130,000 at the 2021 Auckland National Yearling Sale by Philip and Glenys Kennard from the Breckon Farms’ draft.

Fourth placegetter The Black Flash (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) followed OK Boomer across the line. The Nathan Williamson trained two-year-old did not see much clear room in the home straight.

The Black Flash was purchased for $140,000 by Neville Cleaver from Studholme Bloodstock’s draft at the 2021 Christchurch National Yearling Sale.

NZB Standardbred graduates dominated the Group Two Kindergarten Stakes, with seven of eight runners in the field offered at the 2021 National Yearling Sale.

NZB Standardbred