LEETON pacer Seven Dreams continued his resurgence of form and booked his place in the $25,000 final at Menangle Park with an impressive heat victory at Wagga Showground yesterday.
Harness Racing NSW’s country series arrived at Wagga yesterday where four heats of the lucrative series were held on a busy 10-race TAB program.
A week after a dashing breakthrough victory at Young, Seven Dreams ($5.00) backed it up at Wagga yesterday to take out one of the two $7000 C0 heats on offer.
Seven Dreams put the writing on the wall at Young when he broke through for his first win in 12 months in a slashing mile rate of 1:58.3.
The four-year-old proved it was no fluke yesterday as he did all the work to sit outside the leader and put away a lot of promising pacers in fine style.
Owner and driver Ben Lang is thrilled to see Seven Dreams finally delivering on his potential.
“He’s always had ability,” Lang said yesterday.
“Last start he went super but the start before that he galloped three times.
“His trackwork has always been super, it’s just that he’s always been the most frustrating horse.
“He gets back in the field and gallops all the time. It’s been so frustrating.”
A gear change by trainer David Lang seems to have done the trick for Seven Dreams, although the stable believes the breed tends to come good with maturity.
Seven Dreams proved to be as tough as he is talented and found another gear when $2.40 favourite Beach Inspector loomed up outside him early in the straight.
Seven Dreams held on to win by a half neck, Beach Inspector second with Centaury ($21.90) getting home for third place 10 metres behind.
Unfortunately Lang will not be available for the drive in the $25,000 final at Menangle on February 17 as he will be on holidays on the Sunshine Coast.
Lang Snr said he would most likely get a Menangle specialist to take the drive on the horse.
“He’s going to need to draw a good gate up there,” Ben Lang said.
“He’ll be up against some good ones.”
Seven Dreams won in a mile rate of 2:00.3.
Later in the day, Goulburn pacer Beach Boy Adios ($1.50) took out the other heat of the C1 Country Series with a dominant 16-metre victory for father and daughter combination Neil and Amy Day.
Reneging ($3.60) for Matthew Harris and Total Control ($1.80) for Jack Painting took out the two heats of the C1-C2 Country Series.
Total Control’s win was part of a winning treble on the day for Painting.
Meantime, Albury trainer-driver John Scott enjoyed a big day yesterday.
Scott was on course at Wagga where he successfully steered home On Command ($4.90) for Wagga trainer Paul Kahlefeldt but it was his win at Bendigo as a trainer that had everyone talking.
Scott unveiled a former Kiwi for his first start in Australia, Franco Noriega, and he managed to break the track record at Bendigo in a sizzling 1:53.1 mile rate.
Franco Noriega was well-supported and paid $3.00 in NSW for the 10-metre victory.
The C1-C2 Pace was a penalty-free event and part of young drivers series where Leroy O’Brien gave Franco Noriega a superb drive in the one out, one back, position.
Scott is sure to have plenty of fun with the four-year-old, who now has three wins to his name from 12 career starts.
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