Lightly raced filly Dreamed will start at long odds again when she steps up to the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Princess Jenni, above in blue and purple colours, is the one of the favourites for the 2019 Schweppes Oaks at Morphettville. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Morphettville trainer Ryan Balfour was surprised that Dreamed was sent out at the very long odds of $101 last start but wasn’t surprised to see her run a mighty race at only her fourth start and go down narrowly when runner up to Mirette in the Group 3 $120,000 Schweppervescence Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville on April 13.
“I was a bit shocked by her odds. Obviously it is a Group race and rising to that level,” Balfour told racing.com.
“Her run prior in the mile she was hitting the line hard and most of the boys beat her home. I thought she was a bit of an eye catcher and I was a bit surprised to see her at those odds.”
“She has been a work in progress the whole way through and she is definitely going to mature as a mare.”
“With the three weeks in between runs we were able to give her a bit of a freshen up at Willow Grove.”
“She has come back bouncing and this morning’s (Tuesday) track work was fantastic so we are really excited going into the Oaks Saturday.”
Dreamed has been marked at $21 at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Schweppes Oaks and could move in three spots in the starting gates if all of the emergencies fail to gain a start after drawing barrier eleven in the original draw.
Balfour has lured ‘The Wizard Of The West’ William Pike to Morphettville to partner Dreamed in the Schweppes Oaks and is happy to have the experience of Western Australia’s champion jockey.
“Going into the Oaks, a big race, a Group 1 and it will be great to have his experience on at that level,” Balfour said.
The Tean Hawkes trained Amangiri (Todd Pannell, barrier 2) sits at the top of the Schweppes Oaks market order at $4 just ahead of David Brideoake’s Princess Jenni at $4.20.
Princess Jenni has drawn in close at gate three with Damien Oliver sticking with the filly after the pair combined for wins in the Group 3 $160,000 Alexandra Stakes (1600m) at The Valley on March 22 and in the $135,000 Jack Elliott Handicap (1600m) for the three year olds at Caulfield on April 20.
