First Hong Kong Win for Derby Hero Dark Dream

Tara Madgwick - Sunday December 23
A stylish winner of the Group I BRC Queensland Derby earlier this year, high class four year old Dark Dream was subsequently sold to Hong Kong and opened his account in spectacular fashion at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Dark Dream - HKJCNow trained by Frankie Lor, Dark Dream was third when making his Hong Kong debut earlier this month over 1600 metres and found the step up to 2000 metres on Sunday perfectly to his liking.

He surged home from back in the field and was in a class of his own sprinting to the line four and a half lengths clear o of his rivals in this Class Two assignment.

Lor has a potentially powerful Derby pack to shuffle once the Four-Year-Old Classic Series gets under way with the Hong Kong Classic Mile on 27 January and, ever the realist, he voiced concerns about whether the rain had played a part in the margin of victory.

"Maybe that helped him," he said. "At the turn he was last or second last, so I was nervous, but he came so strongly up the inside. Coming back to 1600m for the Classic Mile may be a bit short but I have to try and, of course, I hope he's a Derby horse."

Dark Dream was not offered at auction and is by All American from Buchanan Girl, who traces back to the family of Victoria Derby winner Nothin' Leica Dane. Buchanan Girl produced a filly this year by Cox Plate winner Shamus Award.

With five wins and seven placings from 12 starts, Dark Dream has never finished worse than third in his life.

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