Waikato Stud-bred star Atishu has produced some of the highlights of her illustrious career at Flemington, and her promising full-sister Dream All Day won at the same venue in the A$65,000 Henry Byron Moore Handicap (1600m) on New Year’s Day.
Dream All Day is by champion Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel out of the No Excuse Needed mare Posy. That same mating produced Atishu, the winner of 11 of her 47 races and more than A$5 million. Her three Group One triumphs include Flemington’s Champions Stakes (2000m) and Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).
Those achievements are a hard act for any younger sibling to follow, but Dream All Day has made an encouraging start with six starts for two wins, four placings and A$137,300 in stakes.
The four-year-old was sent out as a $2 favourite on Wednesday on the strength of her last-start placing at Ballarat, where she produced a strong finish for third in the A$250,000 Emerging Stars Final (1400m) on December 7.
The outside gate in a field of nine presented a challenge, but Dream All Day broke well and worked forward to take the lead in the hands of leading jockey Blake Shinn. They were able to dominate the race from that point on, kicking away in the straight to beat second favourite Enxuto by three-quarters of a length. There were another three lengths back to the third-placed Wascaly.
“It was obvious that there wasn’t going to be a lot of pace in the race,” Shinn said. “I just had to try to get her out of the barriers a bit better than her last couple of starts. Once she did that, it gave me the option to roll forward and lead. We dictated the race and she was just too good.
“There’s more under the hood too. She’s just got to come back to us a little more, especially when ridden in that vein. She’s a work in progress but has plenty of upside. Waikato Stud can breed a good one, and it’s great to ride a winner for them.”
Dream All Day’s connections believe increasing distances will favour the emerging mare.
“That was very soft win today, really,” said Michael Kent Jr, who trains in partnership with Mick Price. “She was pulling away at the line, with Blake riding her hands and heels.
“This shows how versatile she is. She’d been giving away big starts in her first two runs of this campaign, not really by plan, but she’s just been jumping up instead of out when the gates open.
“We left Blake with a very open book today. She began well and then had to work a little bit to take the lead, but it was good to see her do that.
“She’s bred to get 2000m or 2400m, so with the turn of foot and class that she has, she might be a nice mare for our stable.
“I think there might be a race over 1800m in a few weeks that might suit her, but we’ll talk to Mark Chittick and Waikato Stud and make out a plan”.
“You’d like to give her another win and then put her away. She’s a lovely mare for the future.” – NZ Racing Desk.
