Fantastic Ballad on song for Randwick

Wednesday 25 December 2013, 7:39am

Injury curtailed the racing career of Dream Ballad and the half-brother to Tie The Knot has had limited opportunities at stud.

But his progeny have a fan in Guy Walter who prepared Tie The Knot to 13 Group One wins and also trained Dream Ballad to win the Listed Dulcify Quality.

Of Dream Ballad's 19 horses to get to the races, nine are winners with Walter training a third of those including Fantastic Ballad who runs at Randwick on Thursday.

He goes to the Ascend Sales Trophies Plate (1200m) off a second to stablemate Zauberflote at Warwick Farm and has received early support, being backed from $7.50 to $7 on Tuesday.

"He has drawn a wide gate but that doesn't matter too much with him because he gets back," Walter said.

"He is a very nice horse. Dream Ballad stands up in Tamworth and hasn't had that many runners but I'm very pleased with the ones I have.

"He is starting to get recognised a bit more now and he has done extra well with his number of winners to runners."

Fantastic Ballad has a Canberra win to his credit while his fellow Dream Ballad stablemates Dream Folk and Canny Ballad already have city wins on their resume.

In addition to his winning tally, Tie The Knot ran second to fellow 13-time Group One winner Sunline in the 1999 Cox Plate.

The late, great mare's family will also be represented by the Walter stable at Randwick in the form of her Shamardahl half-brother Daline.

Daline finished sixth, beaten just 1-3/4 lengths, in the race won by Zauberflote on December 11 after failing to get clear running in the straight.

"He has won in weaker grades than this and may be looking for further," Walter said.

"But he did run reasonably well first-up which was pleasing."

Among his opposition is stablemate Forarainyday who is vying for favouritism with the Gerald Ryan-trained Taya.

A Listed and Group Three placegetter, Forarainyday goes to the race after running third to King Cobia on the Kensington track last Saturday week.

Taya also has some family connections to live up to as she is a full-sister to 2012 Epsom Handicap winner Fat Al.

– AAP

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