The small settlement of Woodlands, about 10 minutes drive from Invercargill, is best known in the breeding world for its Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate contenders.

It is the home of the Dennis brothers and rearing place of The Phantom – second in the 1990 Melbourne Cup, The Phantom Chance – winner of the 1993 Cox plate, and so on.

It is also the home of low key hobby breeder Paul Mulder who hopes that in the group one Chariots of Fire at Menangle on Saturday night, Dashofluck can do him proud and get one back for the harness code.

Dashofluck entered calculations for the Chariots with his success a couple of Saturdays ago in the group two Paleface Adios Stakes. He stopped the clock at 1:50.00 when beating nine others including Waikiki Beach.

Mulder said the Dashofluck story began when he went to the Cullen Breeding dispersal sale in 2010 to buy a mare.

“I missed the ones I wanted, they were too dear,” said Mulder who settled for Dreamy Dash, paying $5500 for the Falcon Seelster mare who had produced nothing of note but was from a family of good horses. Dreamy Dash had been served by Gotta Go Cullen and produced a filly but Mulder said it didn't show much and died relatively young in a paddock accident.

For her next mate he chose local stallion Washington VC and when asked why, said “because of the Australian market”. Dreamy Dash missed the first year but produced Dashofluck the next.

“I did the usual foal handling stuff and then Carl Hanna took over,” Mulder explained. An educated Dashofluck passed then to Nathan Williamson who said he was in and out for a couple of years.

“He always had high speed but his gait took a while to get right,” Williamson said. “A lovely horse who needed time and Paul waited.”

After a series of workouts, Williamson took Dashofluck to a qualifying trial at Wyndham in January 2016, and he won the 2400 metre mobile event in 3:03.0, zipping home the last 800 in 56.7 seconds.

The run impressed not only Williamson but also a local agent and a sale to Australia was soon transacted. Mulder said Dreamy Dash hasn't held in foal since.

Seven of the nine Dashofluck beat in the Paleface Adios are back for the Chariots but two are emergencies so four are fresh runners. Among them are the All Stars additions, Lazarus and Chase The Dream, and another Southland-bred in Salty Robyn. Dashofluck has drawn three, one inside Lazarus.

Mac Henry