Lots to look forward too for He’s Watching Vicbred winner

They say good things come in threes and for champion harness racing trainer, Emma Stewart, her third Group One success on Vicbred Super Series Final’s night at Melton also happened to be her second consecutive trifecta.

He’s Watching filly, Draw A Dream, justified her short priced favouritism with an arrogant performance in the $150,000 2YO Fillies Final. As talented as Draw A Dream has looked in her limited career to date, those who had taken the skinny odds could be forgiven for feeling a little apprehensive early.

Partnered by champion reinswoman and freshly minted Australian Order of Merit recipient, Kerryn Manning, Draw A Dream spent the first three quarters of a lap trapped three wide before she was able to work forward and assume control of the race.

Anxiety levels didnt dissipate as the unbeaten juvenile filly was proving a handful for Manning and was doing little to aid her chances of a maiden Group One success.

“She’s got speed and she’s tough. She just over-raced a bit tonight and had to do a fair bit of work to get around them. I thought she might of settled once she got to the front but she wanted to get up the track a little bit on one rein and got a little keen, but she’s a very talented filly,” said Manning.

“Clayton told me not to come out too hard and fire her up or anything like that. I was wide for a lot longer then I expected to be but she has the class that she can do a bit wrong in the running and still win like that,” she said.

DRAW A DREAM REPLAY

Draw A Dream found plenty in the run home to keep out her stablemates, Renewal (American Ideal) and Eureka Jo (Bettor’s Delight) by a margin of 7m for breeders and owners B C Edward & V A Edward.

It was her fourth win from four race day starts, with a winning time of 2:41.9 and closing sectionals in 56 and 27.3 with a last mile of 1:56.3.

Manning’s 39th career Group One success coincided with the week in which she officially received the accolade bestowed upon her in the King’s Birthday weekend announcement, and Manning discussed a little bit about her experience rubbing shoulders with other greats of their field.

“It was a bit of a nerve wracking but it was a good day in the end,” she said.

“The weather was great and it was so well organised and just enjoyed it really, it was really nice to be amongst such clever people and I met one famous person,” she laughed.

“Her name was Judith Lucy (Comedian). She knew nothing about harness racing and I got to teach her a lot about it, so she knows a little bit more now.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink