Sharp local filly Illicit Dreams will aim to continue her strong fresh-up record when resuming in the Shane Batten Electrical (1100m) at Ruakaka on Saturday.
The daughter of Vancouver has shown plenty of talent over the shorter distances in her career, with a victory in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) and a second placing behind Viva Vienna in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) to her name.
Her most recent victory came at Greymouth in January over 1100m while based with co-trainer Krystal Williams in Burnham, and the filly was spelled after finishing seventh in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) later that month.
Illicit Dreams returned to Ruakaka in the care of Williams’ training partner Ken Rae, who was pleased with her resuming trial where she finished third behind Group One winner Pier, who won convincingly at Te Aroha on Monday.
“She ran third behind a Group One winner in her trial in a really heavy track, and we didn’t push her too hard to have a nice quiet run,” Rae said.
“She’s 100 percent on track for Saturday, and I expect her to go very well. She’s got a good fresh-up record and track record.
“I’ll get her out to 1400m, but I think as a four-year-old she’s going to have a decent win later on over shorter distances.”
Rae is also looking forward to commencing the career of well-related three-year-old Dan Vegas, who lines up on debut alongside stablemates Tide And Time and Dancing Dream in the Marsden Metals Group (1400m).
A son of Per Incanto, Dan Vegas is by Miss Bluebell, who is out of a half-sister to Vegas Showgirl, the dam of Winx. Miss Bluebell has already produced recent Australian Listed winner Gringotts and well-performed mare Millefiori, and Dan Vegas impressed with a comfortable trial win at Ruakaka last month.
“His trial was very good, he beat the second horse by three lengths and I hadn’t expected him to win, he was only really there for education,” Rae said.
“He might be stretched at the 1400 the first time, but we decided to go that distance on our home track instead of 1200 on a heavy track somewhere else.
“I’ve had a lot to do with Dirk and Nicki from Totara Park Stud (co-owners and co-breeders), they’ve been very good clients of mine and they own one of the two-year-old’s, Vegas Queen, who is pretty smart.”
A filly by Proisir, Vegas Queen is one of three juvenile representatives for the stable in the Storage Bream Bay (1200m) and was eye-catching in her trial behind race-rival Patsy’s Dream.
“She’s a very talented filly, a lovely big type who ran second in her trial to Eamonn’s (Green) horse Patsy’s Dream,” Rae said.
“She’ll probably be a back runner from that draw (14) and need a bit of luck, but she’s going to be a very nice filly progressing on.”
Super Rosa has also been engaged, the Super Seth filly having had four starts including a second on-debut behind stablemate Redemption in the south last September, while Chicago Dream is awaiting a start off the ballot.
“Super Rosa is progressing well and has the ring craft, the other two haven’t got that yet,” Rae said.
The stable’s contingent also includes Heart Of Alladin and Mischief Managed in the Marsden Cove Dental (1600m), and Vent Divin in the Trigg Construction (1600m).