Chris Lang can readily place his hand on a measuring stick more than most when assessing the potential of a promising young trotter.
In a decorated career spanning more than 45 years, Lang has put the polish on world class trotter Sundons Gift along with multiple Group 1 winners Notional Interest, Kyvalley Road, Let Me Thru, Jauriol and Skyvalley.
In more recent times Lang’s stable star Ollivici has been joined by Rubys Dream who continued her picket line form line after chalking up her sixth consecutive win in the Haras Des Trotteurs Vicbred Platinum Trotting Mares Sprint Championship Final at Melton.
Despite being caught in the breeze, Rubys Dream forged to the lead on straightening and had sufficient in reserve to stave off the $2.50 favorite Mega Spur scoring by a metre in a mile rate of 1:56 for the 1720 metre sprint trip.
Lang said he only got busy on the mare in the last 400 metres of the race.
“She’s only lightly framed but she does a really good job and she was always going draw badly with the other good horses out the back,” Lang said.
“I looked at the form and thought that I only had to be in front on the line and that was the way it panned out,” he said.
Lang was circumspect when asked to analyse the extent of Rubys Dream’s future race track deeds.
“She’s a good filly and who knows how far she’s going to go,” he said.
“She’s won six in a row and she has gone 1:56 dead tonight sitting in the death and I wouldn’t say that she’s 100 per cent fit.
We will continue to race her sparingly, but she’s got to keep improving to be an elite level trotter.”