Dreams Of Eric passes Ashburton test with flying colours; he eats up being drilled

Lincoln Farms’ co-trainer and part-owner Nathan Delany got what he needed to see from Dreams Of Eric at Cambridge on Thursday night.

In what proved to be a titanic battle, as Eric and driver Harrison Orange were taken on over the entire last lap, the little prize-fighter eventually saw off Barbarossa to win in a slick mile rate of 1:56.8.

“I told Harry to pull the plugs as soon as he left the gate,” Delany said.

“I really wanted to test him to see if he was good enough to go to Ashburton. I always thought he had a good ticker and last night he showed it.”

It was Dream’s Of Eric’s second-last start before trekking south for the Harness 5000 meeting on December 21 at Ashburton where he is the second highest qualifer for the three-year-old colts’ and geldings’ $60,000 race.

Fending off a challenge for the lead 1100 metres out, Dreams Of Eric continued to be eye-balled by Ben Butcher and Barbarossa, clocking a 29.5 quarter then 28.9 down the back.

But, whereas most horses would have dropped out after such a drilling, little Eric puffed himself up even more.

“He loves it when something keeps dishing it up. He doesn’t try if he doesn’t have another horse alongside him.

“Harry said he was jogging at the finish.”

At the line, Dreams Of Eric held a three-quarters of a length margin, with Barbarossa capitulating and it being left to Proviseur to stage a run up the markers.

The win proved a windfall for punters who took the early $3.50 fixed odds on the horse, his price caving in to $1.80 on tote close.

Delany said he’s hoping that with his great gate speed, Dreams Of Eric can lead at Ashburton but, if not, he wants something to put some tempo into the race.

“The faster the better to take the sting out of the others.”

Delany, who races Dreams Of Eric with a mate Cody Evans, will give him one more start, at Cambridge on November 20, before going south in early December.