Don’t Stop Dreaming (NZ) Speeds To Repeat Group Two Victories

Daring tactics from driver Craig Ferguson set up Don’t Stop Dreaming’s (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) explosive win in the $60,000 Group Two Auckland Co-Op Taxis City Of Auckland Free-For-All (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

The star five-year-old exploded out of a gap to chase down fellow NZB Standardbred graduate Mo’unga (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) in a thrilling finish.

With a lap to go, Ferguson made a crucial call to go to the inner and hope for luck with the Hayden and Amanda Cullen trained Don’t Stop Dreaming.

The move proved to be a masterstroke when the pacer charged home to record his second consecutive win in the Group Two feature.

“They’d gone so hard and I knew the ones I was following weren’t going to get me into it,” commented Ferguson.

“It was either run the risk of coming wide or take our chance of getting through them.”

“He was travelling that good that I thought he would only need half a gap,” he added.

“Luckily we had a little bit of luck and it all worked out.”

Don’t Stop Dreaming was purchased for $250,000 by the All Stars Racing Stable when he was offered by Studholme Bloodstock at the 2021 National Yearling Sale at Christchurch.

The multiple Group One winning pacer is raced by the estate of the late Ian Dobson and Mark and Dennis Dunford.

The Dunfords hold a slot in New Zealand’s richest harness racing, the $1,000,000 The Race by Betcha at Cambridge on April 4.

Mo’unga also boosted his hopes of making the lucrative slot race with his narrow second placing in the City Of Auckland Free-For-All.

The Regan Todd trained pacer was also precariously placed along the inner in the running.

But once driver Tim Williams found a clear passage for the brilliant six-year-old he only went down by a nose in a thrilling finish.

Vendor	Studholme Bloodstock Ltd
Purchaser	All Stars Racing Stables
Breeding	Bettor's Delight - Start Dreaming Bay Colt
Sale	2021 National Standardbred Yearling Sale, Christchurch $250,000
Breeder	Studholme Bloodstock Limited & Mike Jefferies