Bettor My Dreamz (David Butcher) is going strongly heading for home in his workout at Pukekohe today.
No need for Freud to analyse Dreamz - that workout today tells us he’s right in the zone
By Barry Lichter • 17 August 2019
Bettor My Dreamz showed he had trained on well since his smart win at Auckland when he chased the smart Dance Time home in slick time at today’s Pukekohe workouts.
Driver David Butcher was content to sit third of four in the 2050 metre heat until the 800 metre mark when he moved up to sit parked.
And while he was still two lengths astern of leader Dance Time at the post, it was a strong effort with the last 800 metres cut out in 56.9 and 400 metres in a very zippy 26.1.
The performance augured well for Bettor My Dreamz, a rating 68 pacer given Dance Time, who with 10 wins to his name, is rated 94.
“He went well,” said Butcher. “They went pretty quick and he felt good.”
Andre Poutama was also very happy with Just Wing It who, even though he was last of the four, was just one and a half lengths behind Bettor My Deamz.
“He’s on point for next week. We just need a draw now.”
Trainer Ray Green has been delighted with the way Just Wing It has been training in the last couple of weeks and believes he has some good form ahead of him.
Andre Poutama liked the way The Empress got to the line, with petrol in the tank.The Empress also looked one to follow when she powered home for second in her 2050 metre heat, despite sitting without cover for the last lap.
With closing sectionals of 57.3 and 26.6, The Empress did well to run Barry Purdon’s Flying Finn to one and three-quarter lengths, with the overall mile rate for the trip 2:02.
“She went to the line well,” said Potama. “I clocked her at 26.8 home and I still had a good hold of her.”
Butcher was happy enough with Sir Tiger’s run even tough he didn’t feature in the call.
“He went OK. He just lacks a bit of speed and couldn’t sprint with them.”
Turning for home and Line Up is travelling for driver David Butcher.Butcher didn’t ask classy three-year-old Line Up for his best late in the up to rating 55 heat over 2050 metres.
“I went to let him go in the run home and he put in a loose one.”
Knowing Line Up had galloped late in his workout last week, Butcher wanted to make sure he didn’t repeat the mistake.
“He was getting in a bit but not too bad.”
Line Up sat second last in the seven horse field until Butcher eased out to move closer a round from home.
“When I came out he wanted to hook into it, instead of mooching up, so I just sat on him.
“And I wasn’t going to chase The Paua Diver when he went as fast as he could at the 400.”
At the post The Paua Diver, a capable southerner now with John and Josh Dickie, had a three and a half length margin over Highview Justice with a neck to Line Up.
The heat was run in a slick 2:35.3, with the last 800 metres in 56.9 and 400 in 26.6, good time for that class.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 2: Debbie Lincoln
5.53pm
“She was good fresh-up but a bit disappointing last week. She’s still very green and I’m not sure what to think about her yet.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.12pm
“He’s the best performed of them all and will get a good trip from one so that means he’s the best of our bunch. He raced well below his best down at Christchurch and we think he might have had a bit of a virus - there was a lot of it down there.”
Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.12pm
“He wasn’t getting the corners 100% last week. We’ve changed the bit to see if he steers better. He’d be very dangerous if he did but he could be better left-handed.”
Race 5: Kevin Kline
7.12pm
“He’s doing nothing wrong and hopefully he’ll keep going well. Maurice said he jogged it last week and the step-up in opposition shouldn’t be too much of a worry for him.”
Race 5: Tyson
7.12pm
“He’s a strange little horse. You never know what to expect. Some days he’s brilliant, others he’s hopeless. We’ll see how he gets around this time.”
Race 5: Lincoln Lou
7.12pm
“It’s a shame he’s drawn the outside because he’s training well and trialled well, but he should still go a good race. He always goes well if there’s nothing wrong. He was hitting his knees down in Christchurch.”
Race 7: The Big Lebowski
8.04pm
“If Sooner The Bettor gets to the front obviously he’ll be hard to run down but he’s no Merlin and I think we’re a big chance if he does everything right. He’s not out of it from 20 metres.”
Race 10: Frisco Bay
9.38pm
“The race will do him good after a short break. You can put a line through that last run at Ashburton. I think he was one who had a few passengers on board (a virus) because he wasn’t anywhere near as good as he had been. He went big at Addington in his previous start and was unlucky. If he’d been one slot closer he would have won easily.”
Race 11: Onyx Shard
10.08pm
“She’s a beautiful filly but it’s her first run for seven months so I’m not expecting anything too flash. She’s training really well, and driving beautifully, but she might need a race or two before we see the best of her. If she gets home well this week, I’ll be happy.”
Race 11: Commander Lincoln
10.08pm
“He’s an honest little horse who’s always thereabouts without being dangerous. Fergie might wake him up a bit.”
