Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
When smart five-year-old Brickies Dream was tenth with 500m to travel in the 1730m Westral Shadetrack Outdoor Blinds Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night his winning prospects looked quite remote.
But he unleashed a sizzling burst after going five wide 250m from home to storm to a most impressive victory, a performance at his third appearance after a beneficial winter spell which showed that he should enjoy a fruitful campaign.
Brickies Dream, trained and driven by Robbie Williams for an enthusiastic group of 17 stable clients, was an $8.10 chance from barrier six, with Franco Ecuador the $2.35 favourite from the No. 5 barrier.
Longreach Bay ($8.50) was smartest to begin from the No. 2 barrier but was unable to wrest the early lead from the polemarker and $19 chance Classic Choice, with Williams content to settle Brickies Dream at the rear.
Brickies Dream’s splendid victory surprised Williams, who said he was disappointed with the New Zealand-bred gelding’s fourth behind Bellezza Nera a fortnight earlier.
“He had an ideal trip (one-out and one-back) and he failed to finish in that race like he did tonight,” said Williams. “Maybe he was a little bit flat at his second-up run.”
Brickies Dream is by American sire Rock n Roll Heaven and is the first foal out of Kate De Goldie, who had 13 starts for three wins, four placings and $15,255. Brickies Dream ran third at each of his two appearances in New Zealand as a three-year-old in 2022, and he now has had 29 starts for ten wins, nine placings and $91,798.