Amazing Dream simply too good

The filly who entered the elitist of harness racing’s clubs last night is going to be for sale.

Because that is how Jean Feiss, the owner of last night’s stunning Woodlands Derby winner Amazing Dream, operates.

Last week’s Oaks winner added the $200,000 Derby at Alexandra Park last night, cruising past the high profile boys in national record time after she sat off the searing early speed.

While the tempo suited her she was still too strong up the straight to Copy That and a very brave One Change, who was forced to sit parked after being beaten for early speed.

Amazing Dream is the first filly to win the Northern Derby since Ripper’s Delight in 1975 and very few ever achieve it in harness racing because, unlike in thoroughbred racing, the fillies race off level marks and with no advantage against the boys.

The winner of 11 of her 18 career starts Amazing Dream has developed into a potential all-time great filly and still has the Nevele R Final, NZ Oaks and Jewels to go to put the exclamation mark on her three-year-old season.

But while she may race on, she will eventually be sold as Victorian-based owner Feiss doesn’t breed from her horses, having already sold outstanding fillies like Spanish Armada and Elle Mac.

She prefers to buy at the yearling sales, where she has an outstanding strike rate, and race but leaves the breeding to others so the phone is sure to run hot for the right to own a filly who has already won over $600,000.

Amazing Dream was driven by co-trainer Mark Purdon and earlier in the night his son Nathan, who trains in partnership with Cran Dalgety, trained his first Group One winner in NZ when Krug bolted away with the $100,000 Breckon Farms Young Guns Final.

Michael Guerin