Don’t Stop Dreaming's (NZ) Group Two Winning Return

Don’t Stop Dreaming (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) announced his return to New Zealand with his emphatic win in the $54,000 Group Two Auckland Co-op Taxis City Of Auckland Free-For-All (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

The NZB Standardbred graduate produced a powerful victory in his first start back from a successful Australian campaign for trainers Mark and Nathan Purdon and driver Natalie Rasmussen.

Don’t Stop Dreaming was purchased by the All Stars Racing Stables for $250,000 out of Studholme Bloodstock’s draft at the 2021 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.

The brilliant pacer’s full brother No More Dreaming (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) recently broke the record for NZB Standardbred’s highest priced yearling at last month’s 2024 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale at Christchurch, with his $340,000 price tag.

Don’t Stop Dreaming enjoyed few favours when forced to sit parked for much of the City Of Auckland Free-For-All.

But it mattered little when the star four-year-old ran away from his rivals to announce he is right on track for a host of upcoming northern features.

“They weren’t going much through the middle stages, but when Natalie clicked him up around the bend – he has got a lot of high speed,” Nathan Purdon said.

“So she chimed into it pretty easily, really.”

Friday night’s Group Two feature win only strengthened Don’t Stop Dreaming’s claims ahead of the $1,000,000 Listed The Race by Grins (2200m) at Cambridge on April 12.

The star pacer has been rated the $2.2 favourite for the million dollar feature ahead of another NZB Standardbred graduate in Merlin (NZ) (Art Major).

Merlin has also returned to New Zealand following his brilliant last start win in the Group Two Australian Light Horse Free-For-All (2300m) at Menangle.

Merlin, currently rated the $4.50 second favourite for The Race by Grins, will be joined in the event by his stablemate and fellow NZB Standardbred graduate Sooner The Bettor (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight).

The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan trained pacer has also returned to New Zealand following his outstanding last start second in the Group One Miracle Mile.

NZB Standardbred graduate and New Zealand bred Australian star Rock N Roll Doo (NZ) (Rock N Roll Heaven) will soon head to New Zealand after being confirmed as a slot holder for next month’s The Race by Grins.