| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 2008
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Baileys Dream stamped himself as the horse to beat in Friday night's Easter Cup with his win over the pacemaker Classic Cullen, Awesome Armbro and stablemate Monkey King at Addington five days ago.
Baileys Dream was last on settling in the $50,000 Paul Renwick Kitchen & Joinery Free-For-All, and despite having to sit parked for the last lap the powerful Dream Away gelding showed unrelenting tenacity to score in a sizzling 3:11.6 for the Group 3 2600m mobile.
Gone were the childish tendencies that cost him victory in both his Auckland Cup campaign runs - the real 'Bailey' showed up this time. "That's the best way to drive him...don't do much early, and then mooch around to get on the pace," said trainer Stephen Reid, who was in the sulky for just the second time in Baileys Dream's 52 start career. "With him, it's not about the trip; it's about him being happy, and he definitely was out there tonight."
Baileys Dream seems to thrive on his southern sojourns, as eight of his 10 wins in the last two seasons have been achieved in Canterbury. The 6-year-old has now won 21 in total, netting over $820,000 in stakes.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HR Weekly 27Mar08
YEAR: 2008
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| Justine Fisher, Ricky May & Sara Famularo celebrate the win |
Bailey Dream first one week, Monkey King the next. That has been the Easter efforts at Addington for the lethal Steven Reid-Ricky May-Benny Hill combination.
They won the $150,000 George Calvert Cleaning Easter Cup at Addington last Friday night with Monkey King, Baileys Dream running a close third behind Classic Cullen after winning the lead-up race the week before, and the same Cup two years ago. It was May's fourth win from eight drives with Monkey King, and Reid said he will stay on the horse, he has won eight from 16 with Baileys Dream.
After the race, Reid spent as much time in the Judicial Room as he had done on the track, firstly losing a charge of half-carting early in the race that cost him $300, then successfully explaining his reasons for not using the whip on Baileys Dream when it got tight near the end. "He doesn't appreciate it," explained Reid to the stewards. He clamps his tail, and if anything will go slower rather than quicker. It made no difference to the result, but as I take a whip they'd like to see me do something with it like having it under his tail or hitting the shaft." He'll get the chance because both Baileys Dream and Monkey King have two races ahead of them next month; at Addington on April 11, and a $50,000 one at Rangiora a fortnight later.
Monkey King didn't make it easy for himself by missing the start by possibly as much as 30 metres, May saying he was put off by Awesome Armbro's behaviour ahead of him. He moved forward and got cover in the middle stages behind Classic Cullen and Baileys Dream, and bombed them both with his usual powerful pounce. He ran the 3200m in a sterling 4.01.8.
Reid only needs Monecito to keep his record moving and he'll have three runners in next season's NZ Cup. But reinforcements are light on the ground after that, and his possibilities for the Harness Jewels will not keep him busy. "Ohoka Moon has not come up quite as good as I would have liked, but I'm confident Sno's Big Boy will be in well, and so will Montecito. I'm a bit luke-warm on Anescape; he might be a back-door entry. I know a bit about the Cambridge track, and draws for those races will be critical. But Anescape's got the potential to be an Open Class horse."
Reid says his 2-year-olds and yearling numbers could mean a short-term gap in the ranks. "We've got five home-bred yearlings and bought four from the Sales, so all up there'll be nine. But we've got twenty-five foals on the ground, so there will be a lot of young horses to look forward to," he said.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 2Apr08
YEAR: 2008
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| The Weekly Celebrates |
It took a record to lower the colours of Baileys Dream in the $1.2 million Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup.
On a hot, balmy Christchurch day, it took a champion to clip Flashing Red's barely broken-in old mark by 1.4 seconds, and end the race pulling away. Only Changeover could do it, and it came matched with great glee and tears and shouts of joy as the ATC Trot 2006 Syndicate tumbled into the Addington birdcage for their million dollar moments.
Trainer Geoff Small, not a big man, was buried in the human scrum for many minutes as folks from all parts of New Zealand swamped him with hugs and big paw pats. It was a dream for them all, no less for Small who had gone close before in the race, with Changeover last year and Elsu before that. But it didn't start out that way, not this particular start.
The race in fact started six minutes late. Ohoka Rebel was in a mood and wouldn't line up and delayed the start as he did at Oamaru. Held up after looking a chance to go away at one stage, Gotta Go Cullen also lost focus, swung round and buckled a wheel. He was sent to the outside to join Ohoka Rebel, and from there he made a poor start. He wasn't alone in that, Monkey King and Changeover doing the same to a lesser extent, which was familiar for one but strange for the other.
Those that got on with the job were Likmesiah, Report For Duty who soon led, Special Ops, Ohoka Rebel and Waipawa Lad. From midfield Tribute was first on the move, followed by Changeover, Baileys Dream, Gotta Go Cullen and Monkey King. Changeover went on and led at the 1400m, passed by Baileys Dream, which left Monkey King doing it hard.
Baileys Dream was in superb order, ready for the race of his life and running it deceptively fast, and he took Changeover to the passing lane and past it. Once David Butcher gave him a look at those syndicate faces in the distance calling him home, Changeover opened up. He gave Baileys Dream no respect as he glided by to a monster win by nearly two lengths. Baileys Dream did enough to win the race, but driver Todd Mitchell could see all the lycra in the world wasn't in the rescue package when Changeover was into the attack so smartly. Report For Duty was a solid third, after being given a perfect trip, and Special Ops stormed home from five places deep to fourth and $54,130.
Butcher said he was surprised at the speed of the race because he didn't think they were travelling quite as quick as that. "It was the track. They've just made a superb job of it," he said. He wasn't the only one with words of praise for the state of it, because there were others making the same point. But he had other matters on his mind before that. "Missing away for a few strides wasn't a huge worry. I didn't want to be in the early fireworks, but I suppose what was happening earlier got to him a bit in the end. The only thing when you hand up is that who you hand up to doesn't fall back on you later on," he said. With Bailey strumming the high high notes, Butcher had no fear of that. "We had a better run than what we had last year, and he was just cruising at the half."
Butcher, aged 44, said he gave Changeover "a couple" when he got down into the passing lane, not wanting to lose the advantage of it as he'd done in the Sires' Stakes Final two races earlier when Highview Tommy denied Tintin in America full access to it for 50 metres. "And I knew Baileys Dream had to get tired." A man with a comedy touch, Butcher was pleased about the special victory but unsentimental as well. "Horses make their own mark. They do their job; I do mine."
Monkey King, the second favourite, ran last but if a last can be good, this one was. He finished 12.7 lengths from the winner and his time of 3:58.7 was better than the 3:59.1 he ran last year when nosed out by Flashing Red.
-o0o-
The easy part for Rob Carr is to fill his ATC syndicates. The hard part will be to get anywhere near the galloping and still growing success of the 7th one formed, the ATC 2006 Syndicate. It's once bright and now dazzling light is Changeover, winner of the $1.2 million Christchurch Casino NZ Cup at Addington, and worth a gross $650,000 to them. Added to the $1,237,154 already won by the entire, it has become more than pocketmoney for the 74 owners of the 50 syndicate shares.
Carr says it's the ultimate dream. "I need someone to pinch me because I just can't believe it," he said. Carr had plenty to thank when he received the Cup, notably Steve Stockman who he said had the initiative to get the syndicates going. "In the last eleven years, we have won 118 races and our estimated return is $3 million, and I'm sure we can build on it," he said.
Carr was surronded by scenes of jubilation, high-fives and power hugs as the many syndicators welcomed back their heroes after a journey that was quick, decisive and powerful. He explained again the folksy story behind the buying and selling of Changeover. Along with Don Kirkbride, Carr had bred the horse by In The Pocket from Chaangerr and offered the horse for sale at Karaka. He was also buying for the syndicate, at least Small was, and he told Small - presumably to appear neutral - he would do better to buy something other than the one he was selling. "But of course Geoff didn't listen to me. He said he couldn't buy a better horse for the money, which was $28,000."
Small has turned the horse into a goldmine, and it is far from done. He admits, for one thing, that the campaign is going a lot better than it was this time last year. "We were on the back foot before Ashburton; it's not something I told David about at the time. It was a hiccup, and it had an effect on his preparation, but there have been no hold-ups at all this time. It would have been my fault if he hadn't performed well today," he said.
Small didn't give it much thought when he missed away. He just stepped on the wrong foot. I was happy he was back in the field. It's a marathon race. He is a wonderful horse, and horses like that deserve what they do, and what is said about them." While Small said it was a race he wanted to win since seeing Robalan in 1974, he added that it had lost a bit of focus for him. I've sort of let it go a little bit; it's not everything," he said.
It is no surprise Small knows what it takes to win a NZ Cup, having been in the same yard as the grand master Ben Grice, who won successive Cups in the 1940s with Haughty. Small was a long way from being under the Grice eye then, but he was when he worked for Ben's son Des at Prebbleton before he moved to Patumahoe 25 years ago at the age of 21, and is eager to say they taught him a great amount of what he knows now.
And while Small waits for Changeover to point them in the next direction, Carr is on a downhill slope filling the next ATC syndicate - the 11th. "We had difficulty one year selling shares, but what Changeover's done has certainly helped. We have got names for the next one already," he said. With Changeover certain to pass $2m (presently $1,887,154) within the next start or two, Carr will probably have his next one signed and settled soon. The best of them so far have all been trained by Small - Changeover, Awesome Armbro and Tintin In America.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 13Nov08
YEAR: 2007
 |
| Brendon Hill & Robert Famularo's daughter Sara |
In race number 166, and attempting to make it a Cups double on the night for 10-year-olds after Some Direction had dominated the Ordeal Trotting Cup in her 138th start, Flashing Red drove to the front 1300m from home and a burner down the back in 27.4 had most struggling just to keep up. But Baileys Dream was still keen and indeed relishing the chase, and he came again up the passing lane to have Flashing Red covered quite easily in the end by a neck in a searching 3:11.7, a mile rate of 1:58.6 in cool and breezy conditions.
The last mile had breezed by in 1:55.8 and it will be a scary thought that the remarkable Flashing Red, off the back of one easy workout at Ashburton a fortnight ago, can only be expected to improve with the run. Ricky May for one remains in awe of the unfashionably-bred stallion, when he is one of those who will be most concerned by him. A year ago it was Flashing Red who effectively 'gutted' Mainland Banner when he fought back to down her in the Ashburton Flying Stakes in a world record of 1:57.3 mile rate for 2400m stand, prompting May to comment "he is like a disease - one that won't go away".
May knows that Baileys Dream may have got the better of Flashing Red on this occasion, when the draw enabled him to win a tactical battle of wits, but also that it will be entirely a different day whenever he comes up against him again from a stand and/or over two miles. "We got the drop on him and got to him pretty easy, but he just doesn't give up - he is just an amazing horse," said May. "Baileys Dream felt terrific and I had no idea we'd gone that quick overall (3:11), but I can see we are going to need to be at peak and have things going in our favour at any time (to beat Flashing Red)," he added.
What also remains to be seen is whether May is doing battle with Flashing Red behind Baileys Dream or Mainland Banner come Cup Day, and it could be quite late in the piece before anyone knows. Mainland Banner is almost certain to resume at Ashburton and be driven by May, and Baileys Dream is just as certain to be bypassing that race. "We definitely won't be going there - we don't see it as being a good race for him," said caretaker-trainer Brendon 'Benny' Hill. "A hard race at that point doesn't suit and the Hannon and Methven Cup are looking far more attractive options along with a final lead-up race at Addington," he added. The latter could either be a race on November 2 and 11 days before the Cup, or the Cup Trial, but the "hard yards" would have been done by then anyway.
"It's a bit difficult for the owners and trainers and I don't want to upset anybody either," said May. "The mare is going to have to come back very well and it's not going to be easy. You can't ask Baileys Dream to do anything more than he's doing either. In some ways you kind of hope the decision might be taken out of your hands, but I guess we'll just have to make a call when the time comes if we have to," he added. It does appear though that if May decides to handle Mainland Banner in the Cup again, where she will be back on the front line, that the Baileys Dream drive will go back to Todd Mitchell. That being the case, for Hill's part, he would hope that Mitchell "doesn't go into the Cup cold" and has a drive beforehand. That might seem to suggest that May might have to make a decision before November 1, regardless of whether Baileys Dream and Mainland Banner are both engaged in the November 2 race at Addington or not.
What May does know though is that Baileys Dream is "that fit and well he is jumping out of his skin, and that the credit must go to Brendon. He was very keen and actually wanted to over race when I handed up tp Flashing Red - that's why he was getting his head round a bit - although much of that was simply because Anthony (Butt) was driving to get past us. I'm sure the time off has been a blessing in disguise as I think he's probably going through a few growing pains. With no more problems, I can only see him improving with the racing because it will just serve to settle him."
What Hill knows is that from now on Baileys Dream will only be racing from stands, which will be as much about getting him off the unruly list as keeping him settled. "We've been told hat he will have to race himself off the unruly line, and we definitely want to get him off it as well. "He went away in the Cup last year from the unruly mark, but he has to learn the (standing start) game and be on level terms if he wants to win."
Hill says that missing the Flying Stakes has little to do with that being the track where he almost certainly hurt himself in an accident in a workout at the start of the year. "We were following horses at the start and there was a lot of dust. I was blinded and he couldn't see much either, and he paniked and knuckled over. We carried on to win the heat, but a couple of days later he was swollen and sore."
Hill said last Friday that Baileys Dream was bright and appeared to have come through the New Brighton Cup in great shape. "I'll still weigh him on Sunday though and keep an eye on that. Their weight can't tell you everything but it can tell you something. Every race now will be a stepping stone and a learning curve towards having him spot on for the Cup.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 19Sep07
YEAR: 2007
 |
Written off as a pale portrait of the horse he was when he carried all before him last spring, Flashing Red overcame a 15m handicap and 14 others in a punishing, grinding, desparate drive to the finish. He was beaten at the 100m; had seen young star Monkey King go past, and then, briefly his stablemate Tribute. This was as near as Flashing Red was going to get and everyone was proud of him. But old horses just don't go away, not when they're great and have done it before, and not when their name is Flashing Red.
With more determination than most have ever seen, Flashing Red must have sensed that Monkey King hadn't finished with the king-hit he needed. Not even gradually, he closed up again, and 20 metres from the finish he was slowly widening the margin to win a magnificent race.
Was there disbelief? Almost. Was there astonishment? Yes. Was there acknowledgement for the greatest staying effort ever seen in the Cup? Yes, yes.
Flashing Red got there the hard way. He made a fair beginning, passing the breakers Foreal, Awesome Armbro and It's Ella. Changeover had made a fast start, and led until David Butcher gave way to Classic Cullen two laps out. This left Baileys Dream parked out, Roman Gladiator inside him, and Sly Flyin on his back. For the first mile, Anthony Butt sat at the back with Tribute and Monkey King. It was quick enough, so there was no hurry to get moving. Just before the 100m, he knew it was time to go. He rattled up Flashing Red. They set off, and Tribute followed, and Monkey King followed Tribute.
They made good, steady progress, and Flashing Red was as strong of any of them on the corner, outside Baileys Dream and Classic Cullen, who were both spent or getting near it, and look! Monkey King has joined in and looking sharp. Sly Flyin is also in the picture, and so is Changeover but he's in a spot of bother behind the tiring Classic Cullen.
With 25,000 people makng noises of some sorts, Monkey King appeared at the 100m as if he had the race by the collar. Stephen Reid, his driver, must have thought so. Had it been anything other than Flashing Red, he certainly would have got away with it. But no-one tangles with Flashing Red at the end of 3200 metres in a record 3:57.8 and has his nose in front at the end of it. Ask Monkey King. He Knows.
-o0o-
The Cup Flashing Red won as an old horse last year will stay where it is. As an older horse this year, he bucked the odds, silenced the young pretenders, and produced what must be the greatest staying performance seen anywhere, anytime. Could any horse have climbed the harness racing mountain from ground-zero that Flashing Red faced this season, as a 10-year-old? And when his campaign seemed as good as gone, could Tim Butt and Phil Anderson and Anthony Butt then pick him up from the canvas and turn him into the 4:00.3 two-mile mauler he was a year ago? When everything said they couldn't, they did.
His win over Monkey King at Addington last Tuesday was certainly a five-star, must-see wonderment. The old dog-over the hill, a handicap to overcome, no longer the mighty marathon cruiser he used to be; little leg ailments - much to much on his plate really. Tim Butt never dropped his guard that far. He was keener on his stablemate Tribute, never on Foreal, but he kept safe and coy with Flashing Red, saying there might be one big race in him somewhere. He never said it would be the $750,000 2007 Christchurch Casino NZ Cup, and only 50 metres from the finish did he know for sure that it was.
Unlike last year, when Flashing Red was more or less invincible and went into the Cup with three successive wins, this campaign and build-up had never reached any glitzy heights. Tim said it was almost as if there were two different horses. He was thrilled when he started his build-up to the Cup again, pretty much quickly on target with his second in the Avon City Ford Cup to Baileys Dream, but the run took the edge off him. He had three further races, and appeared to slip with each of them. Not only was the prospect of winning a second Cup fading by the week, but there was the daunting challenge after his fading sixth at Ashburton of not knowing for sure what was needed to turn him round, if indeed it could be done.
Butt could see it wasn't the same as what it was the previous year. He knew they had to do something different when it was taking him so long to recover from his races. "He was fit enough, we knew that, so we focused on eliminating anything that might have worried him. We took him to the beach for his training. We'd had a little problem with a front joint, we thought he might have had ulcers. We were really going into unchartered territory with him, but we've always had faith." With a new battle plan underway, and deciding that going into the Cup fresh was the only chance they had, they anxiously monitored his revitalisation programme. "In the last seven days, you could see the change," he said. "And for his last hopple, he worked super. I still thought we might have been coming a week too late."
When he assessed the race, Butt saw a few pluses. "He was off fifteen metres, but that didn't worry me. I thought that two miles might negate that handicap. He has shown before that he rises to the occasion in these big races. And I thought he was old last year at nine, and here he is at ten. I wasn't as confident as I was last year, but I felt he'd still go a cheeky race." Deep down, he suspected Flashing Red might prove him wrong, as he had done before. "I could see Ants was very patient with him over that final mile, and then he had to go when he did. In the end, you've just got to do it. You still know that when they get older, you can't go to the well every week." This was a day in the week when the well was full. "I was yelling for him; I knew Monkey King might come to the end of it."
While Anderson and the Butts will see the end of Flashing Red's NZ racing career on Friday, it will also signal the start of another because there is a plan to return him next season to stand at stud in the South Island. Former trainer and part-owner Stuart Hunter said he would compete next month in the Victoria Cup and other Grand Circuit races in Australia, and his Cup win has already gained him a semi-final start in the new version of the Inter-Dominions
Hunter always enjoys recalling the manner in which he and part-owner Norm Jenkins came by Flashing Red. "He was racing down in Tasmania and bought by Barrie Rattray for $20,000. He was quoted to me at $40,000, which I was told was far too much. Nothing happened for a number of months, but I was still keen and eventually said I was going to go down and if I liked him I'd pay the price. It was an awful day and he was running in mud, but I thought he had some try in him. He always wanted to give you something more. So I paid the $40,000. He can run four twenty-eight quarters, and that can break their hearts." Hunter said he was so much better racing on the bigger tracks in NZ. "He'll race in a fifty-five inch hopple back home, and here he can go in a sixty-one inch. He's exceptional like that, and can stay a lot better."
Jenkins, natually enough, is happy to leave it to those who know best. "They're the experts; I just listen to what they say. I couldn't believe it. I didn't expect him to fight back when he was headed."
Of course, that's exactly what Tim did expect. "He rates right up there with Hands Down and Blossom Lady as the great stayers I've seen. Fortunately I can do what I like without pressure, and that only comes with experience. He was down and out, and he came back."
Back to win another Cup - now that takes a special kind of greatness.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 15Nov07
YEAR: 2004
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| Steven Reid, Baileys Dream & Todd Mitchell |
He did so with a remarkable effort in which he twice fought off the attempts of Advance Attack to lead. Advance Attack was on the back foot and tiring on the corner, passed by his stablemate Mighty Cullen. Baileys Dream kept rolling and extended his lead down the straight to win in the manner of something special.
"He beat Winforu in a workout at Pukekohe before he came down here," said driver Todd Mitchell. "I gave him two taps on the corner and he kicked again. He is the type of horse who can sustain his speed for a long time," he said.
Baileys Dream is a first-season son of the Woodland Stud-based stallion Dream Away, by Artsplace, and cost Robert Fumularo $40,000 as a yearling. Bought for him by leading trainer Steven Reid, Baileys Dream is a half-brother to Cup class mare Black Eyed Bailey. They are from the Smooth Fella mare Black Eyed Susan, who went five years without a foal between leaving OK Bailey in 1996 and Baileys Dream. She is also the dam of a yearling colt by Christian Cullen and was served last season by Pacific Rocket.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 12May04
YEAR: 2010
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Baileys Dream has had a monkey on his back for years. Niggly little problems here, injury-enforced layoffs there - there has been plenty to keep him away from a lot of big races, and keep his connections frustrated at the same time.
The latest in a long list of bumps in the road was the keyhole surgery Baileys Dream needed to remove cartilage in a knee after he went sore in the build-up to last year's NZ Cup. On top of everything else, it meant he had been away from the racetrack for more than 13 months when trainer 'Benny' Hill finally loaded him on a float again last Saturday.
Quite literally he had a monkey on his back then, too...Monkey King sat behind him in the trail for the last 1900 metres of the Listed $75,000 United Fisheries Ltd Summer Cup, and at the business end Baileys Dream all-but staved off the finishing punch that his stablemate is famous for.
"Halfway down I didn't think they'd get him," said Hill, who was just as chuffed about Baileys Dream's performance as he was about the winner's. "He only knocked up the last twenty metres. And if he'd have had a couple of runs in him, I don't think even Monkey could've got past him."
Hill knows the enormity of such a statement; after all, this is the reigning NZ Cup/NZ Free-For-All/Miracle Mile champion we are talking about here - so it proves that he rates Baileys Dream little, if any, inferior to Monkey King. "I'm probably a bit biased, but if a sound and race-fit Bailey had had the same trips as Monkey did in those three big ones, I reckon he could've won them too. I honestly do."
The only thing spoiling the perfect comeback party for Hill's two pacers on Saturday was Ohoka Dallas, who got shuffled back after being parked early and zoomed home late for a very eye-catching second. A length and a neck separated the three horses at the finish, and Hill walked away knowing that his two were right where he wanted them as the Inter-Dominions draw nearer.
"Monkey was pretty good to go, and because of his following he was more or less expected to win. Which he did, and that was great. But I'm stoked about how Bailey went. He's still a bit big and was probably only about ninety percent, so the run will really tighten him up. And Todd (Mitchell) was pretty happy with him too."
Hill says Monkey King and Baileys Dream are "completely different horses to train", and the latter takes a lot of work. "I didn't miss a beat with him, giving him a serious workout or trial programme of Saturday- Saturday- Wednesday- Saturday prior to his resumption. But you've got to be conscious of keeping him sound too, because you're just as likely to go out there in the morning and find he's sore somewhere. That's what things have been like with him a lot of the time. I know he's eight now, but he's a young eight when you consider how many starts he's had (62). And he's sound at the moment."
Baileys Dream and Monkey King will fly direct to Sydney this time next week where they will be boarding with Hill's good mate Darren Hancock in a township called Pheasant's Nest, which is about an hour and a bit from the city. Two days later the first round of Inter-Dom Heats get underway at Harold Park, then it is onto Newcastle the following Saturday for round two, and Grand Final Day is at Menangle on Sunday, March 7.
"We'll want to be firing and getting points early," says Hill, adding that it is pretty special to be taking across not one but two great horses for such a series.
Monkey King has assumed the role of pinup horse for the industry in this country - mainly because of his emphatic deeds during November, but partly also due to the sub-standard exit from the stage made by Auckland Reactor. At the time when we really needed another hero, the little black rocket from Dancingonmoonlight Farm has filled the void beautifully.
Even last Saturday's racemeeting was dubbed 'The Day Of The Monkey', and his trainer says it's an honour to be part of it all. "It's a really neat feeling. Imagine if he pulled off the Inter-Dominion as well - it'd go dowm in history as one of the greatest seasons ever, and he'd be loved even more. And why couldn't he?"
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 10Feb10
YEAR: 2010
2010 PAUL RENWICK KITCHEN & JOINERY CENTRE FREE-FOR-ALL
Baileys Dream was back in the winners circle on Friday night, for the first time since October 2008. The Brendon Hill-trained eight-year-old has had a steady return to racing since an injury put him out for a year. Since returning in February he had not won a race, however he had placed second twice behind Monkey King. Without his multiple Group 1 winning stablemate present, Baileys Dream stepped up for victory in the Group 3 Paul Renwick Kitchen & Joinery FFA at Addington.
Starting from barrier three, Hill sent Baileys Dream straight to the lead and this is where he stayed until the very end of the 2600 metre pace. Bettor’s Strike moved to sit outside of him with a lap to run with Second Wind sitting in the one-one. Baileys Dream continued to cruise out in front with sluggish sectionals, until they turned for home.
Charging toward the line, Hill sent Baileys Dream into top gear. The challengers began chasing and although they got close, they could not reach ‘Big Bad Bailey’. Second Wind got the closest as he finished only half-a-head back in second with Bettor’s Strike a neck back in third.
Eight-year-old Baileys Dream is into his seventh season of racing. Over his lifetime he has earned over $1.2million for Cavalla Bloodstock Ltd from his 67 starts. This includes 23 wins and 25 placings across NZ and Australia. The Dream Away gelding has an impressive Group race record with eight wins and 17 placings and looks set to be another dominant force for the remainder of this season’s Group racing.
Credit: HRNZ