Harrison Orange urges Dreams Of Eric home after a brilliant stretch drive at Cambridge. PHOTO: Ange Bridson/Race Images.
Eric fulfils dreams of Nate and Cody, thanks to a pearler of a drive at Cambridge by ‘Harry’
By Barry Lichter • 23 May 2025
Nathan Delany admits he started walking back to the stables when he saw his horse Dreams Of Eric buried four deep on the markers turning for home at Cambridge on Thursday night.
But Delany, 25, hadn’t banked on an ice-cool drive by gun junior Harrison Orange and when he heard the commentator say the horse was zipping up the passing lane, he quickly retraced his steps.
All of a sudden, Delany found himself in the winners’ circle, celebrating one of the best drives of the season, only his second win as an owner and the first for his mate Cody Evans.
Delany, who has co-trained the Lincoln Farms’ team with Ray Green since the start of the year, leased Dreams Of Eric from his breeders Jo and Graham Goodin after he failed to reach his $15,000 reserve at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka yearling sales in 2023.
“He was ordinary looking and a bit small, and you wouldn’t have picked him out as one you’d buy, but I was looking for a horse to potter around with.”
And when Evans, an old mate, asked if he could drive one in trackwork, and he did a few rounds behind Dreams Of Eric at Pukekohe one day, Delany said ‘you might as well have a share in him’.
Nathan Delany scored his second win as an owner with Dreams Of Eric.The deal was done and the pair’s hopes for “a bit of fun” were realised on Thursday when the little bloke screamed home to win by a length at only his fourth start.
“I wasn’t expecting much from the bad draw, just hoping he could run a place, so I I couldn’t believe it when he zipped up the inside and won.
“But I thought he could get a couple of wins. He showed quite a bit in his second prep and ran a good half, and he’s quite well bred.”
By Vincent, Dreams Of Eric is out of seven-time winner Marylyne Bromac, but the fact that only one of her five previous foals had made it to the races probably counted against him on sale day.
Delany liked the fact, however, that her one raceday rep Jo’s Dream won 11 races, including the Group One Queen Of Hearts, and was voted 2017-18 aged pacing mare of the year.
“He’s still quite small but he’s grown into a nice horse and he’s a very easy horse to train, you can do anything with him.
“Harry said he was very lazy in behind last night until he flicked the hood off him.
“I’m hoping to race him again next week at Cambridge and Harry can drive him again if he likes,” said Delany keen to help the rookie qualify for July’s Australasian Young Drivers Championship in Brisbane. Orange is tied on 36 wins with Crystal Hackett as leading North Island driver with June 1 the cut-off date.
That’s if Dreams Of Eric isn’t sold, a move which Delany has profited from nicely in the past - “One I bought for $500 and sold to Aussie for $9000. I’ve been through quite a few and eveything’s for sale for the right money.”
Delany, who leased his first winner Illustrious Arden from Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, before also selling her, produced the traditional smoko room shout today, marking his own success and the 21st winner for the training partnership this season.
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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.”
