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.
More news in Harness
Tyson KOs rivals but Ray floored by stewards’ post-race song and dance over assistant’s help
Dr Green goes to work on mentally fragile Tyson hoping to pen better script for Friday
Ray tells why he rates Lincoln Lou clearly best of Lincoln Farms’ quartet in the fourth race
It’s all up to Angus - Brisbane’s young gun needs to drive a pearler on Nemo at Redcliffe
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Mark Dux’s comments
Wednesday night at Redcliffe
Race 1: Captain Nemo
7.17pm NZ time
“It’s a reasonable field, they’re not push-overs, but they’re all beatable. It will all come down to who gets the right trip. If we have something go our way we could get some of it as there’s not a lot between them and I don’t think he’s far off now. We’ve got a bad draw again and there’s a bit of speed inside us so I’ll tell Angus to just play it by ear.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Lincoln La Moose
7.32pm
“He’s a pretty good horse. He was still below his best last time at Cambridge - he needed the race - but went very well for second behind King’s Watch. With his ace draw, he should be right up there for Zac (Butcher). He always looked a bit delicate but he’s got tougher.”
Race 4: Obadiah Dragon
7.32pm
“He’ll go a good race but our others look better here. His last run was below par for him so we took a blood off him and he had a bit of a virus going on. He was at the tail end of it but it was enough to stop him.”
Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.32pm
“Even if he’s half a run short, I don’t think it will matter, he’ll still be too good for this lot. He only had a mild virus which came right with treatment and he’s trained on well since. He feels pretty good and if I was betting man, I’d bet him for sure based on his last run, which was massive.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.32pm
“He’s in a ‘coming of age’ phase. He rushed up beside them last start and wanted to lay all over them and give them a hug. But that’s normal coltish behaviour. He does that in training as well, rushes up and switches off. He has a lot of ability but also a few little behaviour traits that we need to get on top of.”
Race 6: My Copy
8.24pm
“It won’t be easy from four on the second row but he’s very honest and, if opportunity knocks, he’ll be right there. If he gets a trip, he’s always ready to pounce.”
Race 9: Tyson
9.39pm
“He should be one of the favourites. The raw ability is there and he’ll definitely win races as he has a bit of speed. How far he will take us we have yet to find out but I thought he did really well last time given the run he had.”
