The Dream continues

Top harness racing driver Natalie Rasmussen doesn’t buy into any pre-race chatter.

Driving hot favourite Don’t Stop Dreaming (Bettor’s Delight), the coolest in the cart summed up the start of tonight’s (May 12) $150,000 Group One Garrards Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington perfectly.

“The others were coming out nice enough under me but this guy’s got so many attributes so you can drive him accordingly. He was relaxed and happy just to come back off the gate. They’d done a little bit of work and I really just had to run the last 1000. It worked out perfect really,” Rasmussen told Trackside viewers.

Don’t Stop Dreaming is owned by Ian Dobson and Dennis and Mark Dunford. Tonight is the third time the Dunfords have won this race and it’s the second time for Dobson. It’s All About Faith (Bettor’s Delight) won for the father and son in 2020 and Have Faith In Me (Bettor’s Delight) took it out in 2014. Christian Cullen (In The Pocket) won for Dobson in 1997.

Don’t Stop Dreaming’s winning margin over stablemate Sinbad (Downbytheseaside) tonight was one and a half lengths with a further two and three quarter lengths back to Triple G (Downbytheseaside) in third.

DON’T STOP DREAMING REPLAY

The winning time of 2-19.8 (1-53.6 mile rate) was just outside the race record of 2-19.0 held by the 2018 winner Ultimate Sniper.

The last 800 metres was run in a sharp 55.2 and the 400 in 28.2.

Trained by Mark and Nathan Purdon, the win by Don’t Stop Dreaming was Rasmussen’s fifth in the race.

The win adds to the great record Mark Purdon and the All Stars stable have in this race, having now won the last nine editions of the three year old classic with Franco Indie, It’s All About Faith, One Change, Ultimate Sniper, Chase Auckland, Ultimate Machete, Lazarus and Have Faith In Me.

In total Purdon has won the race eleven times between since 1994. His other winners have been Auckland Reactor (2007), Jack Cade (2001) and II Vicolo (1994). 

The tape of tonight’s three year old feature contains a lot of worthwhile content, including that of Southland trained Captain Tom (Captaintreacherous) who got left flat footed at the 400 but made up a stack of ground late, to run fifth. 

For complete race results, click here

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink