Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Part-owner and trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper is convinced that six-year-old Bettorstartdreaming is purely a frontrunner, and he was determined to set the pace from the awkward No. 7 barrier in the 2130m Friday Night In The Caduceus Club Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Bettorstartdreaming, the $2.10 favourite, raced four wide early and then was three wide before he got to the front from the polemarker and $6 second fancy Tellmetoattack after 550m.
After a lead time of 37.1sec. Bettorstartdreaming was able to relax and cover the opening quarters in 31sec. and 30.6sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 28.8sec. and 29sec.
McArdles Gem, an $8 chance, was ninth with 250m to travel before he went four wide on the home bend and rattled home to issue a spirited challenge before Bettorstartdreaming held on grimly to beat that pacer by a neck, rating 1.58.3.
The New Zealand-bred Bettorstartdreaming is the first foal out of Yankee Dream, who earned $262,989 from 15 wins and 18 placings from 56 starts, which included four wins at Melton in 2012.
Then Yankee Dream had her final three starts at Gloucester Park in November and December 2012 for three unplaced runs.