Delightful Dream

Darci's Dream (3 f Darci Brahma - Sweet Dreams Baby, by Van Nistelrooy) became the second Pearl Series winner for Te Akau trainer Jason Bridgman when she resumed with a fantastic win on August 20 at Taupo.

A bonus scheme designed to support fillies and mares racing in New Zealand, the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series enabled Darci's Dream to earn a payout of $11,500 in addition to her share of the $12,000 stakes in the 3YO fillies race over 1100 metres.  Flaming was Te Akau's previous Pearl Series' winner last season.

Owned by the Fortuna Darci's Dream Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), Darci's Dream boosted her prize money to $28,375 with two wins, a second and a third from only six starts.

After travelling three wide with cover and ranging four wide on the bend, Darci's Dream had to be good in order to run down pacemaker Queen of Navarre (Guillotine), with impressive winners Consensus (Postponed) and Divissima (Mastercraftsman) in her wake.

“It's good to be on the board,” jockey Matt Cameron said. “She's got the experience behind her, with a couple in the field having had only one or two starts. The track was a little bit off but she quickened when I changed the stick and she was too tough in the end. She is stronger, has grown up quite a bit mentally and she has a nice three-year-old season in front of her."

Following in the footsteps of Bounding (Lonhro) and Fix (Iffraaj), respective recent winners of the corresponding event, also augurs well for Darci's Dream.

Fortuna boss John Galvin said: “We've had success here in the past with Volkarrie (Volksraad) and Manny Pacuiao (Pins) and now Darci's Dream. She's a lovely filly and in a tough field we weren't totally confident of winning the race, but so she did. And thanks to Jason (Bridgman), Jamie (Richards) and the Te Akau team."

Jason Bridgman made special mention to thank New Zealand Bloodstock for putting up the money in the Pearl Series, saying: “It's a great initiative and it provides plenty of value for our fillies and mares."

Sweet Dreams Baby is proving to be a promising producer, not only through the deeds of Darci's Dream but also her year older half-brother Forever Ahead (Saperavi) who showed ability when being educated and trialled by Jason Bridgman before notching a win, third, and fourth for Te Akau trainer Mark Walker in Singapore.

A mare by the athletic stallion Van Nistelrooy (Storm Cat), Sweet Dreams Baby has the notable British sire Diesis (Sharpen Up) and American stallion Woodman (Mr. Prospector) featuring as maternal dam sires and she includes the Champion sire Danehill Dancer (Danehill) in her family.