Dream season continues for Danehill Express

Great Southern galloper Dream Lifter will be given a chance in black-type company after a very impressive victory in the Macau Hcp at Belmont on Saturday.

Dream Lifter (3g Danehill Express – Ebony Storm by Metal Storm) was racing second-up over 1400m and trainer Paul Hunter is confident he will handle the extra distance of the LR Belmont Guineas (1600m) on June 22.

“He was underdone first-up and didn’t settle,” Hunter revealed.  “But he worked well on Wednesday and came back underneath Mitch (Pateman) today.  That makes me think he’s ready for the extra furlong.”

The Danehill Express gelding crossed from a wide barrier to race outside the speed and then powered clear in the straight to defeat Hussy By Choice (Hussonet) and Royal Inferno (Due Sasso).

Dream Lifter has won 3 of his 5 starts for owner-breeders Garry Cummins and Neville Matthews and he was also runner-up in the LR South-West Breeders Classic at Bunbury in March.

“They’re a quality crop of three year-olds this season but our bloke looks like being pretty good,” Hunter added.  “His mother was a beautiful mare for Garry and Neville but we lost her a couple of years ago.”

Dream Lifter is the only foal of Ebony Storm who won 12 races topped by a front-running victory in the LR Jungle Mist Classic at Ascot in 2006.

Mungrup Stud sire Danehill Express is a runaway leader of the Sunspeed second-season sires’ title with 29 winners of 40 races in Australia this season.  He is also running third on the national premiership in that division behind Casino Prince and Magnus

Danehill Express is a stakes winning son of breed-shaper Danehill and his latest crop of yearlings sold to $95,000 at the 2013 Perth Magic Millions.  He will stand for an $8,800 (inc gst) fee in 2013.

– Karl Patterson