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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

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.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.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.

Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Wednesday at Cambridge

Race 3: Spiritual Bliss
1.10pm

“You can’t fault what she’s done up here and she’s trained on really well since Manawatu. She seems to have a good motor and can carry her speed a long way. It’s a bit of a step-up on Wednesday, and she’s drawn out a bit, but she should be right in the fray.”

Race 4: Lincoln Lover
1.45pm

“It’s a huge drop in class for him on what he’s been racing. The Purdon horse Crippa Max looks the one to beat on his trial but I’m picking we’ll finish in the first three at worst. He’s very honest and does nothing wrong.”

Race 6: Lincoln Downs
2.55pm

“She got skittled early last time when one galloped in front of her, and that didn’t help. It would be nice to see her get a good trip, with no incidents, and see what she can do. She’s no superstar but she tries hard.”

Race 9: Leo Lincoln
4.31pm

“It’s his first race for more than four months and I’m picking he’ll need the run. It was a toss-up whether we went to the trials, but he’d probably have had no opposition, so it made sense to drop him in here. He’s training well and seems in good shape but whatever he does, he’ll improve on.”

Race Images - Harness