More Stakes Success for Vancouver Mare

Media Release - Saturday November 9

Riccarton is a home away from home for speedy Ruakaka mare Illicit Dreams, who added a blistering front-running win in Saturday’s Listed Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes (1000m) to her proud record at the Christchurch track.

A daunting 1200km journey separates Riccarton from trainer Kenny Rae’s Northland base, but Illicit Dreams has repeatedly taken those big trips in her stride and produced some of the best performances of her career.

Illicit Dreams winning Saturday's Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton. Photo: Ajay Berry (Race Images South)

The daughter of Vancouver is now a dual stakes winner and has also been stakes-placed, and all of those have been at Riccarton. She won the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) as an autumn two-year-old in 2023, then returned last spring for a runner-up finish behind Viva Vienna in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m). Overall, Illicit Dreams has now had two wins and two placings from seven starts at the track.

The four-year-old ran her rivals off their feet in Saturday’s Pegasus, which was the first of eight black-type races to be staged at Riccarton during the New Zealand Cup Carnival.

Sam Spratt sent Illicit Dreams straight to the lead and dominated the race from there, kicking hard in the straight and keeping herself out of reach of the highly rated Australian import South Of Houston. Illicit Dreams was still a half-neck in front of that rival at the finish line, with the same margin back to Tikki in third.

Illicit Dreams stopped the clock at 55.3 seconds on a Soft5 track. It the fourth-fastest time for the Pegasus Stakes in the last 20 years, beaten only by Ticklish (54.20 seconds in 2006), Darcybee (54.82 seconds in 2005) and Sensei (55 seconds in 2019).

Bought by Rae Racing for $30,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2022, Illicit Dreams has now earned over $180,000 from a 19-start, five-win career.

Advertisement

“Well, we’ve got one win from the trip down south anyway,” Rae said. “I was thinking of going straight into the Stewards’ Stakes (Listed, 1200m) next week with her, but then I thought you can get bad luck with draws and things like that. She can still back up next week now, but if she doesn’t, we’ve got a prize anyway.

“I thought she was at false odds coming into this, and we’ve got the result. I’d like to thank the owners, and one of them isn’t here today because he’s been a bit crook lately. It’s a big trip down for this carnival. I’ve got a lot of good people behind me that make it possible, and I’d like to thank them as well.”

Illicit Dreams provided a winning start to an exciting carnival for Spratt, whose rides also include Group One favourites Savaglee and Alabama Lass.

“This horse was ready to run today, they said she’d been working beautifully down here,” she said. “Kenny told me that she might be a step slow away, but once she gets up and running, she’s off. We managed to get the kick right today, and I was pretty happy once we did that. She cruised along at a really nice speed.

“If she gets away with an easy lead again, she might be alright stepping up to 1200m for the Stewards next week. But she is a real little running type and probably needs that uncontested lead.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk.

Advertisment

Race Result - Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes LR 1000m

Riccarton Park Track: Soft(5) Time: 0:55.30
1
Illicit Dreams
- 4m Vancouver (AUS) x Illicit Romance (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: K I Rae Rdr: S C Spratt 53.5
Vancouver
2
0.2
South Of Houston
- 5m Deep Field (AUS) x Soho Secret (AUS) (Lucky Owners (NZ))
Tnr: Ms T Rae Rdr: Matthew Cartwright 53
3
0.4
Tikki
- 5m Per Incanto (USA) x Ivy Hall (NZ) (Towkay (AUS))
Tnr: Steven Prince Rdr: T R Moseley 53
4
0.6
The Radiant One
- 6m Darci Brahma (NZ) x The Diamond One (AUS) (Tale Of The Cat (USA))
Tnr: Dennis Bros Rdr: A Comignaghi 56
5
0.8
Amberecho
- 6m Echoes Of Heaven (AUS) x Sita (NZ) (Bertolini (USA))
Tnr: Ms S L Wynne Rdr: S L Wynne 53
6
1.2
Platinum Attack
- 4g Santos (AUS) x Conchita (AUS) (Uncle Mo (USA))
Tnr: Ms L Latta Rdr: K A Myers 53
7
1.5
Lincoln's Kruz
- 8g Kuroshio (AUS) x Myskina (AUS) (Xaar (GB))
Tnr: Ms L Latta Rdr: L Sutherland 54
8
2.5
Caravella
- 5m Caravaggio (USA) x Highland Lights (AUS) (Fantastic Light (USA))
Tnr: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Rdr: Liam Riordan 53
9
3.6
Is That So
- 8g Sufficient (NZ) x Sheez Torkin (NZ) (Electronic Zone (USA))
Tnr: C R Isdale Rdr: M J Mc Nab 56
10
5.2
Our Echo
- 8g Echoes Of Heaven (AUS) x Sakura Cluden (NZ) (Yamanin Vital (NZ))
Tnr: D B Frye Rdr: Joe Doyle 59
11
6.7
Motiontime
- 4m Showtime (AUS) x Saldana (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: M & M Pitman Rdr: Ms K Williams 53
More Reading...
Bates gets creative at The Valley
Six-year-old gelding The Creator led throughout to claim the Ladbrokes Top 2/3/4 Betting Handicap (1600m) at The Valley on Saturday under a perfect Logan Bates ride.
Tenth SW for Vancouver - Illicit Dreams wins Champagne Stakes
Speedy North Island visitor Illicit Dreams proved too fleet of foot for her two-year-old rivals when she took out the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton.
Top Filly Beats Top Colt in G1 Prix Morny
The Group I Prix Morny (1200m) at Deauville overnight produced a mightly clash between unbeaten Starspangled banner colt Gstaad and unbeaten filly Venetian Sun with the filly prevailing, although Starspangledbanner got some consolation with a new G3 winning 2YO at Goodwood.
Hard To Cross swoops to Valley win
Six-year-old gelding Hard To Cross was aided by the three-kilo claim of Rose Hammond as the Kiwi bred landed his first victory of the preparation when landing the Ascend Sales Trophies Handicap (1523m).
Narrow Miss for Hellbent Gelding in G2 Foxbridge
Lhasa proved he is more than a synthetic track specialist when he nearly caused an upset when finishing runner-up in Saturday’s Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa.
G1 Goal for Vancouver Filly Illicit Dreams
Stakes winner Illicit Dreams will kick-off her preparation toward the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November when she heads to Riccarton on Saturday to contest the NZ Cup Meeting Tickets On Sale Now Three-Year-Old (1000m).
Inglis Ready2Race Sale Now Online
The strongest collection of sire power ever assembled for an Australian 2YO Sale will be offered at the Inglis Ready2Race Sale, for which the catalogue is now available online.
First Southern Hemisphere foals for Paddington
A four-time Group I winner by champion French sire Siyouni, European superstar, PADDINGTON, has had his first Southern Hemisphere foals arrive on the ground at Windsor Park.
Vancouver Filly Looking to Get Back on G1 Track
Trainers Ken Rae and Krystal Williams are hoping Illicit Dreams can get her Gr.1 Barneswood Farm NZ 1000 Guineas (1600m) preparation back on track at Ashburton on Sunday in the Juice Signs (1400m).
Idyllic Prince Stakes - Phanta Leads a Sweet Trifecta for Gingerbread Man
Yarradale Stud's senior stallion Gingerbread Man achieved a rare career high for any sire when the son of Shamardal provided the trifecta in Saturday's Listed Idyllic Prince Stakes over 1300m at Belmont Park.