Kenny Rae had hoped to have multiple representation in Saturday’s three-year-old feature on his home track at Ruakaka but the stable is now down to a sole contender.
The talented Whiskey Lies is currently under offer to Hong Kong interests and stakes winning stablemate Illicit Dreams will head south to Christchurch where Rae’s daughter and training partner Krystal Williams is permanently based.
Rae’s only runner in this weekend’s Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) may now be the consistent Dancing Dream.
“She’s still a maiden and you’d expect it to be a strong field for a $100,000 race, but if she can place it’s better than winning a maiden race, especially for a filly,” he said.
“She’s got a home track advantage so there’s no travelling and we’ll probably have four others in the maiden races anyway.”
By Contributer, Dancing Dream has placed in five of her nine outings including three consecutive runner-up finishes at Ruakaka last season behind Embellish’s son Whiskey Lies.
“I honestly thought she was better than him but it’s three nil to him. I still say with a bit more time she could end up being the better horse,” Rae said.
Illicit Dreams enjoyed an unbeaten two-start autumn campaign and following her home track success headed south to claim top honours in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) to take her record to two wins from five appearances.
“I was looking at the Breeders’ Stakes with her, but she wasn’t going to be ready,” Rae said.
“She’ll go back down to the South Island for the three-year-old fillies’ races.”
Illicit Dreams is likely to resume at Riccarton over 1000m on September 2 and as a lead into the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) a fortnight later.
“Krystal is down there on the farm, it’s a beautiful spot. It might be a long way, but once the horses arrive there’s no more travelling,” Rae said.
“If the sale doesn’t go through then Whiskey Lies will go to Christchurch with her for the three-year-old races. He’s passed the vet, but they’re not sold until the money comes through.”
Whiskey Lies was unplaced in his spring debut and returned to complete a winter hat-trick of wins with a series of gallant front-running displays.
Meanwhile, stablemate Follow Your Dreams is likely to run in the open 1400m sprint at Ruakaka on Saturday and is another booked to head south.
The travelling party may also include a younger member or two, depending on the outcome of Tuesday’s trials at Avondale.
“We’ve got seven two-year-olds trialling and after that we’ll decide which ones stay in work, which ones go out or go down south,” Rae said.
