Emirates Park shuttle sire Dream Ahead (USA) was represented by his first Australian stakes winner when Ken’s Dream lead from start-to-finish to land the Listed MVRC Mckenzie Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
An emphatic nine-length winner of his only previous start at the beginning of the month, Ken’s Dream went into his first black-type assignment as a pronounced favourite and was virtually in control of the contest throughout. First to break before making the running, the progressive son of Dream Ahead only had to fend off one challenger turning for home and did best to win by a clear-cut one-length margin.
Ken’s Dream is trained by Darren Weir and was ridden to victory by Dean Yendall. Yendall claimed immediately after the win that the lightly-raced 3-year-old “is still new and learning the caper’, and also remarked “he just takes everything in his stride and is so adaptable”.
Champion trainer Darren Weir commented after the victory: “The plan was to sit outside the leader but when he found the front, they didn’t look to be going too quick early and he was able to kick away in the straight. But it’s a hard thing to do, obviously to win a maiden in the bush and then to come to town and win a Listed race.”
Weir added: “He’ll definitely be a seven-furlong (1400m) horse and he might even get out a bit further than that. He’s a lovely relaxed horse and he relaxed well out in front today, and he’d relax well if he got cover too.”
Dream Ahead is now the sire of first-crop stakes winning progeny in Australia, England, Ireland, France and Italy. In addition to Ken’s Dream, the emerging stallion’s black-type progeny on the local front include the exciting Melbourne Spring Carnival prospect Dreams Aplenty.
– News from Emirates Park
