Dreams Of Eric is going too well for Proviseur, inner, and Barbarossa. PHOTO: Ange Bridson/Race Images.
Dreams Of Eric passes Ashburton test with flying colours; he eats up being drilled
By Barry Lichter • 31 October 2025
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.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
