Don’t Stop Dreaming to debut for new stable in Harness Million Final

[Wandering Eyes]

By Michael Guerin

Star pacer Don’t Stop Dreaming has changed stables just two weeks out from the $1million Race by Betcha at Cambridge on Friday, April 4.

The last-start Menangle winner has left trainers Mark and Nathan Purdon and joined Hayden and Amanda Cullen and will debut for them in Friday’s $60,000 Auckland Co-Op Taxis City of Auckland Free-For-All at Alexandra Park.

Don’t Stop Dreaming faces a second line draw for the Cullens starting alongside stablemate We Walk By Faith in the 2200m mobile which is stacked with the majority of New Zealand’s best pacers.

Sooner The Bettor returns from a luckless Miracle Mile sixth and also starts alongside Mo’unga on the second line while Republican Party again faces the outside of the front line draw.

While not being drawn on the change of stables for Don’t Stop Dreaming co-trainer Nathan Purdon says he is looking forward to the Free-For-All with Chase A Dream, who gets barrier 1 this Friday.

“He really needed last week’s run and while he will be better for this week too we think he can go close,” says Purdon.

The night’s two other main features are the Harness Million for the three-year-old pacers and Marketplace will start red hot after drawing inside Rubira in the $200,000 NZB Standardbred final for the Colts and Geldings (7.59pm).

“We all know how good Marketplace is but Rubira beat him by going forward last week and I see no reason for us not to do that again,” says Purdon.

Add in Got The Chocolates and Greased Lightnin and the race has good numbers and decent depth.

The $150,000 fillies pace (7.34pm) is shorn of last Friday’s stunning winner Beside Me as she is ineligible but includes the other impressive filly from last Friday in Stella Rouge, who will start favourite from barrier 5.

The Cullens have a strong hand in that Listed race too with Winelight (1) and Arafura (2) over the 2200m mobile.

The meeting also hosts two $35,000 Metro Finals for the Trotters and Pacers  while Race 4, the RSM Mobile Pace, sees the return of last season’s northern juvenile star Captain Sampson after two recent workouts.

To see Auckland’s fields for Friday night click here 

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