Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Talented driver Maddison Brown’s plans to set the pace with Loucid Dreams in the 2130m HTA Rent A Gen Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night were dashed when the gelding was unable to get to the front.
Brown, who drove Loucid Dreams, a $5.90 chance, with great vigour in an unsuccessful attempt to get the early lead, then was left in the breeze. But she was determined to manoeuvre the five-year-old to the pegs. She restrained Loucid Dreams and showed skill to get to the inside and race three back on the pegs.
The polemarker Joey James ($9) held up until Chris Voak sent the $3 favourite Tartan Robyn to the front after 250m. Loucid Dreams was hemmed in on the inside in the back straight in the final circuit until Brown was able to ease the gelding into the clear at the 400m mark and follow the $5.50 chance Illawong Mustang.
Loucid Dreams then surged forward, out three wide and was sixth on the home turn before charging home to get up in the final couple of strides to beat $12 chance Rock Me Over, who had taken the lead with 225m to travel after racing in the breeze for much of the way.
“I was impressed that Loucid Dreams hit the line after he had burnt out of the gate so hard,” said Brown. “I needed to get to the rail after that, and I was adamant I was going to get to the fence. I got there just in the nick of time, and I probably wouldn’t have won if he hadn’t got there.”
Loucid Dreams, trained by Colin Brown and raced by his wife Lyn in partnership with Liam O’Connor, Barrie Devereaux and Jim Currie, was purchased for $40,000 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale and has proved a sound investment, having earned $122,047 from nine wins and 18 placings from 53 starts.