Don’t Stop Dreaming Wins Epic Group One Battle
9 November 2022
Don’t Stop Dreaming (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) led home an incredible line up of NZB Standardbred graduates in his thrilling win in the $170,000 Group One Woodlands Stud Sires Stakes Series Final (1980m) at Addington.
NZB Standardbred graduates made up 11 of the 13 runners in the time-honoured New Zealand Cup Day feature, with graduates filling the first 11 placings in the Sires Stakes Series Final.
Ultimately it was Don’t Stop Dreaming who won out for trainers Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen in an electrifying finish to the sought-after Group One title.
The outstanding colt was purchased by All Stars Racing Stables for $250,000 from Studholme Bloodstock at the 2021 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.
Don’t Stop Dreaming held out Sherlock (NZ) (Vincent), Alta Meteor (NZ) (Art Major) with just one length covering the first four horses home.
Given that small margin, a key tactical decision from Mark Purdon proved vital to help Don’t Stop Dreaming clinch his first Group One victory.
Purdon elected to let his main rivals Merlin (NZ) and Zachary Butcher take the lead inside the final lap.
Taking that breather paid winning dividends as Don’t Stop Dreaming sprinted best to beat an outstanding line up.
“I was keen to stay in front but when Zachary came up, you could see he was over racing so I thought if we go head to head we are not going to have much left,” Purdon said.
“I thought that it was the best option and that turned out the winning one.”
Sherlock was snookered three back on the inner before the home turn but once clear the stablemate of the winner charged late, just denied in second placing.
Sherlock was purchased for $67,500 by Jean Feiss out of the Spreydon Lodge draft at the 2021 Christchurch National Yearling Sale.
Alta Meteor ran on strongly to take third behind the Purdon-Cullen pairing.
The two-year-old was purchased as a weanling by Stonewall Stud when he was offered among the Alabar draft at the 2020 Auckland All Aged Sale.
Though beaten for the first time, Merlin lost absolutely no admirers in his fourth placing.
The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan trained two-year-old worked hard to loop the field after starting from a horror second row draw.
| Consignor | Studholme Bloodstock |
| Purchaser | All Stars Racing Stables |
| Breeding | Bettor's Delight x Start Dreaming |
| Sale | 2021 Christchurch Yearling Sale, $250,000 |
| Bred by | Studholme Bloodstock and M B Jefferies |