Derby baby not for sale

OWNER Mary Jane Basson has already knocked back a $2 million offer for her Queensland Derby-winning “baby” Dark Dream, who she now hopes can take her all the way to Victorian spring carnival glory.

Whether that is this year, or next, Basson doesn’t mind.

“He’s still growing,’’ she said of the Kembla Grange-trained Dark Dream, who won the Derby at Doomben on Saturday. ‘‘After he has a spell he will come back a bigger, better and more powerful horse than he already is.

“He’s a work in progress.” Offers have been rolling in for Dark Dream for several weeks, in particular after he dominated the Rough Habit Plate at Doomben last month.

Basson has politely declined all offers. “I knocked back $2 million, which was an extraordinarily generous offer, but he’s like my baby and you just can’t sell family. It’s as simple as that,” she said.