Caption: Proud trainer Daniel Lee with Ipswich Young Guns winner Nando Dreamer (Photo: Just Greyhound Photos)

By MIKE HILL

THE most pleasing thing about Nando Dreamer is that she\’s a hard-chasing bitch, says Milbong-based (south-west of Brisbane) trainer Daniel Lee.

And that wonderful trait was there for all to see in the final of the $16,800 Ipswich Young Guns (520m) in March.

Not only is the exceptionally well-bred sprinter a hard chaser, she is also a terrific railer.

Nando Dreamer (Fernando Bale-Jeannie Dreaming) jumped from box eight and by the time the field had entered the back straight she had manoeuvred herself to the rails although still six or so lengths off the leaders.

A $5 chance on the back of her slick 30.26s heat win seven nights earlier, the Lee-prepared sprinter was \’glued to the fence\’  as she joined the leading pack on the corner and in a battle royale down the straight just held off the fast finishing Robert Cooke-trained Cash Stack ($6) by a  quarter-of-a-length, with Peter Sullivan\’s Pokie Payout ($5) another half length away third.

Clocking 30.74s, the victory took her impressive record to four wins and two seconds from just seven starts.

\”I\’m always reserved about my dogs, but Nando Dreamer is a strong bitch,\” said Lee, who admitted he had gone into the feature confident, \’although not over-confident\’.

\”However, if she had drawn box one in the final, I would have declared her a certainty.

\”All wins are a good win. She races hard and has good track sense.

\”You can\’t teach dogs that.\”

Lee said Nando Dreamer was also very strong at the end of her races.

\”Her run home time in her heat was 11.65s and I think she ran 11.70s in the final,\” the trainer said.

\”Any dog that can break 12s coming home at Ipswich has strength.\”

Owned by the Daceys – Norma and Claude – Nando Dreamer is one of three members of a promising litter Lee has in his kennels.

\”She\’s not a speed bitch, she races more like a 600m bitch, but for the moment we\’ll just concentrate on 520m races,\” he said.

Nando Dreamer\’s mother Jeanie Dreaming is from the Dacey’s wonderful  Paw Licking-Dayseas Astra litter that included dual Group performer Corykodi (82: 35-15-8), Love The Look (84: 20-15-11) and Nikki Nettle (91: 13-15-14).

Jeannie Dreaming (52: 24-7-7) was a Capalaba specialist, winning 21 races up the straight track.

Lee, an industrial electrician who has been training for almost four decades, has had a high opinion of Nando Dreamer from early in her career.

So much so that he gave her a tough opening assignment.

She won first-up in a heat of the Dave Brett Memorial Maiden feature at Albion Park in mid-November, clocking a fine 30.11s, and then ran second to Robert Cooke\’s smart youngster Cash View in the final.

She stopped the clock at a slick 29.97s at her next Albion Park start before a second and a fifth – her only unplaced run so far – at the same track.

After a let-up of just under two months, Nando Dreamer came back and showed her class winning both her Young Guns heat and final.

She\’s obviously a talent and Lee said she was blessed with keenness.

\”There\’s not a flaw in her,\” he said.