It’s not common for a two year-old to win an open provincial maiden at this time of year against older rivals, but after it happened at Hawkesbury on Thursday, up and coming trainer Jack Pilkington is allowing himself to dream.
Trapeze Artist colt Am I Dreaming is a big strapping lad and in the mounting yard, you would have had trouble picking him as a baby in the midst of fully grown rivals.
Punters rallied to Am I Dreaming and he was sent off favourite with Jason Collett to ride in the 1300m maiden.
Am I Dreaming travelled smoothly back in the field and when angled into the clear he found the line well doing his best work late to win by half a length on debut.
The colt holds an entry for the Group I ATC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 4 and Jack Pilkington revealed the race was very much in his plans for the youngster that he snapped up at Magic Millions Book 2 for just $35,000.
“He’s a big horse and a lot of buyers shy away from a big horse, but he’s always shown us good ability,” he said.
“The Sires has always been the plan and I was hoping he could win today and then maybe be my first ever runner in a Group I.”
Consigned by Clarke & Croft Bloodstock, Am I Dreaming was bought by Pilkington Racing/Jamie Piggott Bloodstock and has a big ownership group.
Bred by the Vieira Group and foaled and raised at Widden Stud, Am I Dreaming was sold first as a weanling through Inglis Digital in 2024 for $22,500.
He is the first winner for metro winning Written Tycoon mare Alexandra Dreaming, a half-sister to Group III winner Yattarna from stakes-winner Umaquest.
Trapeze Artist has had an exceptional run this season with eight stakes-winners and three of them are juvenile stakes-winners.
