Smart WA mare from fabulous family

The remarkable maternal family behind emerging Western Australian mare Fabulous Dream continues to add another chapter to one of New Zealand breeding’s great modern success stories.

Bred in Southland by respected Invercargill breeder Vin Devery and his late wife Daphne, Fabulous Dream has quickly established herself as one of the brightest young mares racing in Western Australia after recording three victories within 10 days at Gloucester Park.

The four-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight was the second-highest priced filly at the 2023 National Yearling Sale at Christchurch when purchased for $190,000. From just 14 starts she has already compiled seven wins and three placings for $54,830 in stakes.

The family’s roots stretch back to the Johnny Globe mare Facetious, bred by noted Nightcaps horseman Frank Booth. Facetious gained recognition as the dam of inaugural NZ Sires’ Stakes 3YO Championship winner Arveeae and would later become the foundation mare for the Devery family operation.

“The first foal we bred out of her was Ravinalan,” Devery recalled.

That daughter, by Nevele Bigshot, would become a pivotal link in the family. One of her offspring, the unraced Lumber Lie, left three winners including Leonard Memorial winner Happy Golucky and dual NZ Sires’ Stakes champion, 2YO Filly of the Year and elite broodmare Dreamy Atom.

Few mares have left a mark comparable to Dreamy Atom. She produced seven individual winners and eight daughters that went on to leave winners themselves, headed by champion filly Western Dream. The brilliant daughter of Bettor’s Delight won 14 races from just 27 starts including the NZ Oaks, Nevele R Fillies Series and Sires’ Stakes 3YO Championship, earning recognition as the standout filly of her generation.

The family’s influence only strengthened through the unraced Christian Dreamer, a daughter of Christian Cullen and Dreamy Atom.

“I qualified her and made the decision to take the shoes off her on the same day and put her to stud,” Devery said.

“She was going to win a couple but I thought she was better off as a broodmare.”

That decision proved inspired.

Christian Dreamer has produced seven foals of racing age for seven winners, with her progeny earning a staggering $2.78 million in stakes. Her achievements saw her named New Zealand Pacing Broodmare of the Year in 2020, the same season her dam Dreamy Atom received the NZ Standardbred Breeders Association’s Pacing Broodmare Excellence Award.

Headlining her progeny is the outstanding racemare Amazing Dream, winner of 30 races across New Zealand, Australia and North America, including 11 Group One victories and almost $2 million in stakes.

The family also produced brilliant pacer Chase The Dream, winner of 24 races and more than $600,000, alongside Power Up, Catch The Dream, Special Dream, Dream Major and now the rapidly emerging Fabulous Dream.

Since producing Fabulous Dream in 2021, Christian Dreamer has left Divine Dream, another daughter of Bettor’s Delight who sold to Chinese interests for $80,000 at the 2024 Christchurch Yearling Sale as a stallion prospect.

Although she failed to get in foal over the following three seasons, Christian Dreamer was served again by Bettor’s Delight late in the breeding season.

Devery continues to nurture the family through several descendants including Follow The Dream, a daughter of Christian Cullen and Western Dream, who has already left three winners and is currently in foal to Art Major.

Another mare in the broodmare band is Chapel Gate (Vincent – Natal Franco), who is carrying a positive test to Huntsville.

The family’s future on the track also looks secure with promising three-year-old filly Schemeandream, a daughter of Always B Miki from Time To Dream, herself a daughter of Western Dream. Trained by Branxholme horseman Nathan Williamson, she has shown ability in her first two starts, recording a third and fourth placing.