May The Force Be With You

Dreamforce takes out the Group Two Tramway Stakes (Lisa Grimm)

マーク・トエインが、見たのは、多彩で長い歴史を誇るオーストラリアの競馬の一瞬でしかありませんでしたが、あれから、オーストラリアの競馬は、国の主要産業となり、さらに人々の情熱を掻き立てる娯楽となっています。オーストラアリアの競馬は多くの詩人に謳われ、皇室がパトロンとなり、国家の伝統として高く評価をされ続けてきました。、

My, it’s amazing how things change. When the Fastnet Rock colt – who would become Dreamforce – was presented at the 2014 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, he was clearly out of step with his illustrious peers.

As a consequence, Dreamforce would be brought home and raced by his breeder, the Joy Luck Discretionary Trust.

That might have been disappointing at the time, but there was plenty of Joy to go around at Royal Randwick on Saturday as the 7YO cruised to a three length victory in the Group Two Harvey Norman Tramway Stakes over 1400m – leading from go to whoa.

The John Thompson trained, Dreamforce, has now raced on 26 occasions for 11 wins, nine placings and $1,446,835 in prizemoney.

Prior to the Tramway, Dreamforce had won the Group Three Chatham Stakes at Flemington, the Listed Winter Stakes and last time in, the Group Three Liverpool City Cup.

If anything, Dreamforce appears to be improving with age and closed out his last campaign with a third behind Winx and Brutal in the Group One George Ryder Stakes and a length second to Brutal in the $3 million Group One Doncaster Handicap in April.

Based on Saturday’s performance, Dreamforce appears well on his way to a breakthrough Group One victory and will be given his chance in the Colgate Optic White (George Main) Stakes at Royal Randwick on 21 September (no Winx this year!) and, all things being equal, a tilt at the $1 million Group One Epsom two weeks later.

“Dreamforce is such a professional and gives 100% every start,” a delighted Thompson points out, “he’s a gun, does everything right and just so honest. A trainer’s dream, quite literally. He’s the best I’ve had.”

High praise indeed when you consider Thompson has saddled up First Seal and Sir John Hawkwood for Group One victories and Zanbagh for multiple Group Twos.

Dreamforce is the best runner for Joy Luck too according to syndicate manager, Tony Crisafi.

“There is about a dozen people involved with Joy Luck and we’ve been racing and breeding for around 15 years,” Crisafi explains. “We’ve got three in work and three broodmares, but Dreamforce is our best result by a country mile.

“One of Joy Luck’s first horses was Faster Pussycat, who didn’t do much on the track for us (winning just the one race at Kembla as a 2YO), but after we sold her, she turned out to be a very good broodmare, producing three stakes winners: Atmospherical and successive Gai Waterhouse Classic winners, Gai’s Choice and Peron.

“We also raced the Encosta de Lago mare, Strawberry Field, who won a black type race at Flemington on Cup Day and was multiple stakes placed in Sydney and Melbourne, but Dreamforce is truly special.”

It’s certainly been quite the journey for Crisafi and co.

“He (Dreamforce) had developed a bad step and looked really out of place at Easter. Turns out he didn’t attract a bid so we had no choice but to race him ourselves,” Crisafi recalls. “A few really good judges came up to us at the sales though, John Thompson included, and said that it really shouldn’t affect him and all he probably needed was time.

“So, he didn’t race until he was three (running third on debut at Canterbury in December 2015) and he usually only has four or five runs each campaign. John has never pushed him and has been incredibly patient with the horse. Because of his breeding, we wanted to keep him a colt, but after a couple of years the decision was made to geld him and he’s gone ahead in leaps and bounds ever since.

“It’s shaping up as a memorable day for us on the 21st with Dreamforce and (multiple city winner) Cuba set to race in our colours on the same program.”

Dreamforce is a half or three quarter brother to four winners including Group placed 2YO, Deep Chill, from the dual Group One winning mare, Eskimo Queen.

Winner of both the Queensland Oaks and Coolmore Classic, Eskimo Queen has had quite the sales journey too: sold for $2,500 as a weanling, $10,000 as a yearling and then $25,000 as a Ready To Run, the Shinko King mare would win close to $1 million on the track.

Eskimo Queen was offered at the 2009 Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale but failed to reach a reserve of $600,000.

“Mick Malone from Kitchwin Hills sourced her privately for us and helped plan all the matings. Mick’s done a great job with our mares and Eskimo Queen is five for five,” Crisafi adds.

With Kitchwin Hills selling the full sister to Dreamforce for $350,000 at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Eskimo Queen herself would make another appearance in the auction ring: knocked down, in foal to Snitzel, for $400,000 at the 2019 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.

Signing the docket on behalf of Boutique Bloodstock was astute bloodstock agent, Paul Willetts.

“Boutique Bloodstock has some half a dozen investors and is a new operation. We purchased five mares in total at the sales this year, ranging from $80,000 up to $400,000,” Willetts reveals. “Eskimo Queen has been a tremendous broodmare and being in foal to Snitzel was an obvious plus. Naturally enough, we’ll be hoping that Dreamforce continues to kick goals and wins a couple of Group Ones as well.”

The Power of Passion

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