Wednesday, 24th April 2024
All enquiries - Gary Knowles 0406 599 773
Ruakaka trainer Kenny Rae is counting down the sleeps to Saturday's $1m Doubletree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie. The knock-about horseman, who trains in partnership with daughter Krystal Williams-Tuhoro, will saddle exciting youngster Follow Your Dreams, a $7 third favourite in the million-dollar feature. Rae took the laid-back colt to the South Island for his first three starts where, after winning his first two races at Riccarton, he finished runner-up to Avonallo, whom he meets again on Saturday, in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m). He then returned north and finished an eye-catching fifth on Boxing Day at Ellerslie when racing without luck. "That was the run of his life. It was better than his two wins and a second to me. He ran the fastest last four sectionals of the race," Rae said. "He has done a lot of quiet work on the beach trying to keep him a wee bit fresh. It's a different way of training normal two-year-olds, but he is not a normal two-year-old. He is like a five-year-old gelding." Bred by Valachi Downs principal Kevin Hickman, Follow Your Dreams, a son of emerging sire Contributer, is the first foal of O'Reilly mare Dare To Dream and was purchased by Rae for $24,000 at the Book 2 Yearling Sale at Karaka 12 months ago.
