4 Win Saturday - Dream Of The Moon - Black Type Beauty

Absolutely toying with the opposition, Dream Of The Moon (3 f All Too Hard – Moonchild, by Charge Forward) impressively won the $80,000 Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes 1600m on Saturday at Riccarton.

Impressive winning on the course as a two-year-old, before finishing third to subsequent Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas' winning stable-mate Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) in the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes 1100m, Dream Of The Moon had her spring campaign thwarted by injury after finishing runner-up in both the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes 1200m and Group 3 Barneswood Stakes 1400m.

She returned to draw out and win a Rating 65 1200 metres on 5 March first up, but suffered another minor setback when racing below expectations and having a slow recovery in the 3YO 1400 metres on 22 March.

Obviously through that with flying colours, trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson had her back in the right condition to tackle another age group stakes' race and, really, she second-rated them.

With George Rooke aboard, who won earlier aboard stable-mate Star Shadow, Dream Of The Moon received an economical trip from barrier three, appeared unable to go slow enough when levelling at the 300m and once the brakes were released, she streeted clear to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths.

On Good4 footing, Dream Of The Moon ran 1600 metres in 1:35.9 and paid $11.40 & $3.50 on the NZ TAB tote. 

Te Akau also finished third in the race with Donna Chiara (Belardo), who steadied to the rear from the difficult outside gate (18) and, given a clever ride by Joe Doyle, she came through near the rail with a strong finish to earn valuable black type for her future broodmare career. 

For premiership leading trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, who recorded their 100th win this season when I Am Nutz won last Saturday at Wanganui, they reached 104 season wins courtesy of their 15th stakes' win with Mehzebeen and 16th with Dream Of The Moon.

“It was a richly deserved stakes' win, to add to her stakes' placed efforts, and she really was dominant," Walker said.

“She’s a beautiful filly that Dave (Ellis) bought for at a realistic price in Australia, and she’s put together a very good record.

"Dave has bought so many good yearlings out of the Gold Coast, and she’s proving on par with some of the best of them.

“It’s great for the ownership group to get that win and Hunter (Durrant) and the team are doing a fine job at our Riccarton stables. 

“It was a brilliant win and she can now contest the Warstep Stakes in a fortnight.”

The $80,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes over 2000m is held on Saturday 26 April at Riccarton.

Owned by the Te Akau Moon Dreaming Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MZNM), Dream Of The Moon was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for A$160,000 at the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Glenbeigh Farm.

“She was a brilliant winner as a two-year-old at Riccarton, up to the best of her age at two and three, and I’m thrilled to see her back winning like she did,” Ellis said.

“What a great job the team at Riccarton has done to get her back to her best and her future continues to look really exciting for the owners.”

Te Akau continues to have success with progeny by All Too Hard (Casino Prince), having trained Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes winner Viva Vienna, and imposing sprinter Insatiable. 

The Australian Champion Three-Year-Old, All Too Hard is a half-brother to unbeaten champion Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), who won all 25 of her starts including 15 at Group 1 level. 

Winning three times as a two-year-old, All Too Hard won three Group 1 races over 1400 metres in Australia: the All Aged Stakes, Futurity Stakes and C. F. Orr Stakes, and has now made his mark as a sire with progeny winning over 1700 races, including 70 stakes' wins.

Dream Of The Moon is from an unraced mare by Charge Forward (Red Ransom), an extremely talented Group 1 winning racehorse that was sought for stallion duties at Arrowfield Stud. 

Her grand-dam Flowerchild, the winner of three races to 1250 metres, is by Champion Sire and Broodmare Sire Redoute’s Choice (Danehill), and her third dam North Flower is by legendary Australian sire Rory’s Jester (Crown Jester). 

Dream Of The Moon carries a Danehill cross through the sire line of All Too Hard and dam-line of Moonchild.

Having just returned from buying three yearlings at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney, Ellis added: “The uptake of shares has been terrific and we’ve only got a couple of shares still available in the I Am Invincible filly, from the family of Damask Rose.”

Dream Of The Moon was strapped by Katherine Hadler.

Photo credit - Ajay Berry - www.raceimages.co.nz