Remarkable record extended in Two Year Old SS Final

Today’s win at Addington by Don’t Stop Dreaming (Better’s Delight) adds to the harness racing legacy and remarkable record that co-trainer Mark Purdon holds in the Two Year Old Sires Stakes Final.

The Woodlands Stud sponsored Group One race has been won by Purdon an incredible thirteen times in its thirty nine year history.

The juvenile feature today was earmarked as one of the must see races on Cup Day and it didn’t disappoint.

As expected Purdon pushed the go button early, making full use of the number two draw. After a fairly sedate first section Don’t Stop Dreaming’s main rival Merlin (Art Major) and driver Zachery Butcher loomed up three wide before taking the lead.

“We were having a wee bit of a breather, then Zak turned up.” Purdon said he realized that if both horses went head to head, both would come away with nothing. “So I thought it was best to let him go under the circumstances. He (Merlin) was aggressive and probably would have brought us both undone,” Purdon said.

Purdon’s decision at that point proved to be the winning of the race and Don’t Stop Dreaming was on the same page.

“He’s just in sync with you and wants to do what you want to do. He’s such a great real, classy horse.”

Merlin continued to over race and Butcher was starting to get concerned.

“He got going a bit early and a couple of things didn’t go his way. I pulled the shorteners (hopple shorteners), and he heard them click out and said, ‘let’s get going’. Everyone got in a possie and I was left out in no man’s land,” Butcher said.

Inside the last one hundred and fifty metres Merlin was beginning to tire and Don’t Stop Dreaming shot up the passing lane. It was left up to his stablemate Sherlock to run up for second just a neck away. Alta Meteor was a half a length back in third and Merlin a further half a head back in fourth.

“There wasn’t much in the end but he was a well-deserved winner,” Purdon commented on the game win.

DON’T STOP DREAMING REPLAY

Butcher was also impressed with Merlin’s exceptional effort.

“Look it was a great run and he stuck to his guns after doing a lot of work early and they only got me in the last 150. So you’d have to say it was a super run from that draw,” he said. 

Don’t Stop Dreaming is owned by Ian Dobson and Denis and Mark Dunford.

The winning time of 2-19.8 was just .2 of a second outside of the race and New Zealand record set by One Change. Today’s Sires Stakes Two Year Old Final certainly lived up to its pre-race build up.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart for Harnesslink