Bettor My Dreamz (David Butcher) is going strongly heading for home in his workout at Pukekohe today.
No need for Freud to analyse Dreamz - that workout today tells us he’s right in the zone
By Barry Lichter • 17 August 2019
Bettor My Dreamz showed he had trained on well since his smart win at Auckland when he chased the smart Dance Time home in slick time at today’s Pukekohe workouts.
Driver David Butcher was content to sit third of four in the 2050 metre heat until the 800 metre mark when he moved up to sit parked.
And while he was still two lengths astern of leader Dance Time at the post, it was a strong effort with the last 800 metres cut out in 56.9 and 400 metres in a very zippy 26.1.
The performance augured well for Bettor My Dreamz, a rating 68 pacer given Dance Time, who with 10 wins to his name, is rated 94.
“He went well,” said Butcher. “They went pretty quick and he felt good.”
Andre Poutama was also very happy with Just Wing It who, even though he was last of the four, was just one and a half lengths behind Bettor My Deamz.
“He’s on point for next week. We just need a draw now.”
Trainer Ray Green has been delighted with the way Just Wing It has been training in the last couple of weeks and believes he has some good form ahead of him.
Andre Poutama liked the way The Empress got to the line, with petrol in the tank.The Empress also looked one to follow when she powered home for second in her 2050 metre heat, despite sitting without cover for the last lap.
With closing sectionals of 57.3 and 26.6, The Empress did well to run Barry Purdon’s Flying Finn to one and three-quarter lengths, with the overall mile rate for the trip 2:02.
“She went to the line well,” said Potama. “I clocked her at 26.8 home and I still had a good hold of her.”
Butcher was happy enough with Sir Tiger’s run even tough he didn’t feature in the call.
“He went OK. He just lacks a bit of speed and couldn’t sprint with them.”
Turning for home and Line Up is travelling for driver David Butcher.Butcher didn’t ask classy three-year-old Line Up for his best late in the up to rating 55 heat over 2050 metres.
“I went to let him go in the run home and he put in a loose one.”
Knowing Line Up had galloped late in his workout last week, Butcher wanted to make sure he didn’t repeat the mistake.
“He was getting in a bit but not too bad.”
Line Up sat second last in the seven horse field until Butcher eased out to move closer a round from home.
“When I came out he wanted to hook into it, instead of mooching up, so I just sat on him.
“And I wasn’t going to chase The Paua Diver when he went as fast as he could at the 400.”
At the post The Paua Diver, a capable southerner now with John and Josh Dickie, had a three and a half length margin over Highview Justice with a neck to Line Up.
The heat was run in a slick 2:35.3, with the last 800 metres in 56.9 and 400 in 26.6, good time for that class.
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Dreams Of Eric goes from black and blue to blue and white, now for Harness 5000
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
