Sunset Dreaming strikes Gold
The addition of blinkers helped talented filly Sunset Dreaming kick off Ballarat Cup day with a strong win.
Heavily backed from $1.90 into $1.60 favourite, Sunset Dreaming took out the $175,000 Portable Buildings By Design VOBIS Gold Eureka Stockade (1400m) by 1-1/4 lengths from the pacemaker Canyonlands ($6).
Trained by Tony & Calvin McEvoy on-course, the filly was backing up today after an excellent fifth in the Sandown Guineas a week earlier.
Sunset Dreaming has been hampering her winning chances by drifting out of her ground early, but with the blinkers on, and down slightly in class, jockey Harry Coffey was able to have her in third spot on settling down before being asked to extend in the home straight.
The runner-up battled on strongly, but Sunset Dreaming’s class came through to win impressively with the third horse Mont Saint Michel ($21) four lengths away.
Trainer Tony McEvoy said the filly had a touch of class.
“She has been running so well, this girl,” McEvoy said.
“Just getting too far back, so we put the blinkers on.
“I said to Harry (Coffey) to be the boss, be in charge of her and put her right into the race.
“She is a very fit filly and toughed it out really well.
“Sunset Dreaming is a good filly, and I thought blinkers would make her a little bit better, and they just help her race shape and I think that was the important thing.
“I’m not sure she would be sitting outside lead in much of her future but just in today’s map, with this rain around, I just think it suited her today.”
Winning jockey Harry Coffey believes Sunset Dreaming has a promising future.
“Early today, I had the two other best chances in front of me, and good riders at assessing tempo,” Coffey said.
“I just stalked them, then came out and gave her clear air which made sure I could get into her and ask for an effort.
“I didn’t want to get left behind in her flat spot.
“The biggest thing was she responded well in the blinkers today.
“I had a horse underneath me the whole way, whereas in her races of late she has been getting lost, albeit up in grade.
“She has come her, won again at Ballarat, she loves it here and it will be great for her confidence.
“I truly believe next preparation she will be a lot better filly.
“She has already won three races in her first prep, so she has already done plenty.