Dream finish to Mungrup

Powerful sprinter Dream Lifter shot into calculations for the upcoming $120,000 Pinjarra Classic (1300m) and $120,000 Bunbury Stakes (1400m) after smashing his rivals to win the $100,000 Mungrup Stud Sprint (1300m) for Albany trainer Paul Hunter at Mt Barker Turf Club on Sunday.

The gelding was heavily supported into $2.40 favourite on the tote and jockey Mitchell Pateman was able to settle him into a terrific position from barrier 10, sitting outside early leader Corporate Larrikin in running.

Approaching the home corner, Pateman started to get to work on the six-year-old and quickly raced past Corporate Larrikin and then shot away inside the final 200m to win by 2 ¼ lengths at the line in front of a huge crowd.

Tiger Pete finished strongly in the home straight to claim second ahead of Corporate Larrikin and Bindaree Lady.

Shining Knight ($3.20 chance) never got going under the 61kg to finish sixth and Mr Utopia ran a disappointing ninth.

Persistent foot problems have limited Dream Lifter to 17 career starts for seven victories, but he has now added a Mungrup Stud Sprint to his Fitzpatrick Plate win and multiple city successes.

"He's been a promising horse and it was a good result yesterday," Hunter said yesterday.

"His three-year-old days were pretty strong - he was flying then and I think yesterday he was starting to get back to that.

"Mitch has worked him all the way this season and he's done a good job - he rides the horse well and has done a lot for the horse."

Hunter said if the son of Danehill Express pulled up well, he was likely to press on to the Pinjarra Classic on February 28 and then the Bunbury Stakes on March 13.

"He is up there in the ratings, but we are thinking the Pinjarra (Classic) or the Bunbury Stakes are the plans this campaign if he pulls up good," he said. "When he travels, it takes a bit out of him.

"Fresh and off a break, he races pretty well.

"With his feet issues, we are always on the cautious side, but we've got to have a bit of a plan."

It was the second time Hunter had won the race after tasting success with My Leo in 2007, and ends a dominant recent run of visiting trainers taking out the region's prestigious sprint race.

He also trained Dream Lifter's mother Ebony Storm and can see similarities.

"It's been a good horses' race, always has been," Hunter said.

"Ebony Storm was a great mare, a high class mare and she got better as she got older. This bloke is a bit similar and we are hoping he can get better as he gets old- er."

Dream Lifter, owned by Gary Cummins and Neville Matthews, has now won $307,700 in stake money.