Just try to keep up
JOHN Zielke says rivals will need to run a track record to stop Dreams Aplenty winning the Gold Coast Cup.
Zielke said the four-yearold’s current form was a carbon copy of the performances that led him to four straight metropolitan wins, a run that culminated in a victory in the Gunsynd Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm in April last year.
“He looks really good,” Zielke said. “His blood profile actually came back very good on Monday.
“I compared it to 12 months to the day when he won the Gunsynd Classic last year and it’s a carbon copy. You couldn’t ask him to be in better condition health-wise.
“He looks an absolute treat. They are going to have to run a track record to beat him because we all know how good he is”
Zielke recently opened a Gold Coast stable and said he had made it his goal months ago to win the Cup on one of the city’s biggest race days.
“I said I want to win that race on my new home track,” Zielke said.
“This horse has a following Australia-wide. He always fights like a dog until the end.
“He is a horse that looks like he is gone on the turn but I tell you what, don’t give up because with 50m to go he is likely to be a half-head still within winning.
“If he was a wrestler he wouldn’t tap out, this bloke.”
Dreams Aplenty ran third first-up over 1400m at the Sunshine Coast on April 14 and although Zielke was wary not to give him the “kiss of death”, he said he couldn’t be happier with how he has progressed.
“He has done everything right since his last start,” Zielke said.
Zielke said he considered running Dreams Aplenty in the Doomben 10,000 (1200m) tomorrow week or Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) on June 9 but decided they were too short for his gelding.
“The horse is much better over 1600m to 1800m,” he said.
Ladbrokes have Dreams Aplenty as $4 favourite for the Gold Coast Cup (1400m) ahead of the James Cummings-trained Moher at $5.50.