DARREN Weir’s Warrnambool stable kick-started what could be a big week for the Ballarat-based trainer when May’s Dream won the group 1 $400,000 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville on Saturday.
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Weir, who could have more than 40 runners at this week’s TAB May Racing Carnival, is expected to be the leading contender for a trainer’s bonus of a Mercedes-Benz.
But his Warrnambool satellite stable staff had plenty of reasons to start celebrating early after May’s Dream, coming off a Warrnambool beach preparation, triumphed in Adelaide.
May’s Dream is under the care of Daniel Bowman at Weir’s satellite operation.
Bowman said the three-year-old filly had done a lot of her work on the Warrnambool beach in preparation for her biggest race success.
“We’ve tried to mix her training in this campaign up a bit,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of work down at the beach and at the dunes with her.
“She’s really thrived on that part of her preparation. We took her to Camperdown last week for a gallop and a few weeks ago we went to Terang. She worked well on both occasions.
“She’s not very big but she’s still growing. May’s Dream was physically immature last spring when she ran some really good races but we’re confident she’ll develop more once she has a good break.”
The win of May’s Dream was extra special for Bowman, because his wife Denita owns a small share in the filly after a generous gesture by the late Worrall Dunn, who bred the galloper. He gifted her and nine friends a part-share.
“Denita used to work in the office at Ballarat for Darren,” Bowman said. “She knew Worrall because he had been a long-time owner of horses with Darren. Worrall knew May’s Dream was going to be a handy horse and he just wanted some friends to enjoy the horse.
“Denita went over to Morphettville on Saturday to strap May’s Dream. She was really excited with the win. It was a brilliant ride by jockey Brad Rawiller. He judged the ride to perfection.”
Bowman said Weir may now send May’s Dream to the spelling paddock before setting her for the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Saturday’s win took May’s Dream’s stake earnings to more than $660,000 from her 11 starts.
Platelet, also trained from Weir’s Warrnambool stables, ran second to Driefontein, while the Woolsthorpe-bred Gregers finished third in the group 1 Robert Sangster Classic, also at Morphettville.
Bowman described the effort as super.
“Platelet’s an honest, tough mare. It was a super run. She just gives 100 per cent each time she races,” he said.
