‘Dream’ 3YO blows them away in $40,000 Junior FFA

Matthew Peden and the bookies at the NZ TAB would have been rubbing their hands together as the mobile pulled away in the first Group Race feature on New Zealand harness racing’s biggest day.

The punters had been burned early on IRT New Zealand Cup Day at Addington with the likes of Cody Banner and Kingsdown Atom saluting at any old odds.

After 100m in the $40,000 G3 Junior Free For All, favourite backers looked to be in trouble yet again when Mark Purdon and Don’t Stop Dreaming (Bettor’s Delight) went rough going past the winners post the first time.

Purdon set the winner of 10 races alight from his wide gate of barrier nine, but with speed coming from his old foe Merlin (Art Major) inside him, the early hustle and desire to get in front of the Purdon/Phelan trained second elect almost became his undoing.

The gifted hands of the world champion reinsman and five-time winner of the Junior FFA soon steadied the ship and from there set about dominating their first attempt in Aged company.

Visiting Victorian reinsman was only too happy to take a sit behind the odds on favourite with the newcomer to the Jason Grimson team, Cya Art who was able to lead from barrier one with ease.

Merlin was able to find cover going down the back and land a one-one sit behind the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety trained Franco Sinatra (Captaintreacherous).

Purdon was able to walk them through the middle stages with John Dunn getting busy from the back of the pack to come and sit outside the leader, essentially the only move made throughout the 2600m journey.

The chasing pack hoping the front runners would come back to them were well and truly dreaming, with last season’s champion juvenile being set alight and unfurling an incredible last half of 55.1 leaving little hope for the rest.

Cya Art rallied well to be a length from Don’t Stop Dreaming at the finish after receiving a gorgeous trip throughout, with the pair eight lengths clear of Merlin who was brave in defeat after getting too far back and being forced to work four wide round the last bend.

Bruce Stewart caught up with Purdon as he returned to scale after his sixth Junior FFA success as a trainer.

When asked about the early going, the champion trainer offered the following;

“We were just going that quick Bruce,” said Purdon.

“I sort of had the measure of Merlin early but when he got a bit rough I was worried he might have been able to hold me out. I was asking him for a bit extra but he was going that quick I think he got the wobbles.

“I haven’t asked him to leave like that before, he has crossed his own age group more comfortably than he did today.

“But Merlin is a very good horse and I think in the times they have met, one has drawn the front row and the other on the second row so they have never both been tested like that. He obviously ended up having to pull back which made life a bit easier.

“It’s hard to place these three-year-old’s now with their ratings being so high. You don’t want to have a gut buster every week and it’s just nice to come into a race like this that mapped well for him.

“He obviously had to do work early.  But he got away with a wee bit in those middle stages, but he probably needed too,” he said.

The victory took Don’t Stop Dreaming’s career record to 11 wins from 13 starts with the three-year-old colt stopping the clock in 3:10.0 from the 2600m mobile with a last mile run in a very good 1:57.5.

DONT STOP DREAMING REPLAY

Upon parting, Stewart pressed Purdon as to whether his impression of his star three-year-old had grown after his impressive victory against the aged horses having held Don’t Stop Dreaming for a very long time.

“He’s a very good horse, he will be in the Cup next year without a doubt,” he quipped.

For complete race results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink