SA battler Go Dreaming chases Caulfield Cup fairytale for trainer Grant Kluske

The prophetically named Go Dreaming, trained off the side of an old Ford Falcon along a dirt track on the Ashbourne property of ever-smiling bush real estate agent Grant Kluske, is the unheralded outsider in today’s Caulfield Cup, the battler against the bluebloods.

To add even more glitter to this extraordinary tale, Go Dreaming was the first horse into Kluske’s stable after the 55-year-old was granted his licence just two years ago.

It will also be the first time both Kluske and Go Dreaming have stepped foot on the famed Caulfield racecourse and the trainer has never met Go Dreaming’s cup jockey Katelyn Mallyon.

It’s such a crazy story that you’d shake your head in amazement unless someone told you it was actually true.

But Kluske is a fervent believer and, regardless of Go Dreaming’s position when he crosses the finish line at about 4.03pm, he will be celebrating what he considers a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Go Dreaming story has already been an amazing one for Kluske and his loyal band of supporters.

Kluske purchased the horse on behalf of a group of family and friends for just $9000 in 2014 after he’d raced in a lowly restricted event at Geelong.

He’s since won six races for his new connections, as well as $336,495, around three-quarters of the total training prizemoney earned by Kluske’s stable.

Kluske reckons he now spends as much as 80 per cent of his time training a team of 10 horses, with any spare time devoted to rural property sales for Raine and Horne in Strathalbyn.

He’s hugely busy — and has already trained his share of less successful horses — but Kluske wouldn’t have it any other way.

“If you didn’t love it mate, you wouldn’t do it, I can tell you,” he said.

“It’s always been in my blood and something I’ve wanted to do, even though I’ve only been training in my own right for two years.

“I couldn’t live without it now.

“I can see myself doing this when I’m 80 if it doesn’t kill me first. They do tell me it’s a health risk, though.”

Most form experts have dismissed Go Dreaming’s prospects, though UBET brought his price into $81 when the seven-year-old drew barrier one after odds as long as $301 were on offer earlier in the week.

Admittedly, the gelding’s form line isn’t typical of a likely Caulfield Cup winner, with his recent efforts including a ninth in this year’s Adelaide Cup, a third in the Oakbank Cup and an eighth in the Balaklava Cup six weeks ago.

He did, however, stick to his guns when fourth, beaten six lengths by Caulfield Cup rival Real Love, in the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley a fortnight ago and crazier things have happened in racing. Just ask the owners of Prince Of Penzance.

Though the odds are against him, Kluske is typically upbeat and doing his best to enjoy the moment.

“I’m feeling good, really good,” he said.

“All the hard work’s over, mate. We’re there. It’s just up to him now.”

Kluske’s unorthodox training techniques, where he leads horses out of a car around a rough circuit on his farm, is something he learnt from another trainer, Mick Whittle, who died earlier this year.

“You could pretty much say I did my indentures with Mick,” he said.

“I used to help him out then I decided to get my own licence.

“It’s easy to train them off the car — but you’ve got to do it right. That’s what Mick taught me.

“I do get a lot of phone calls about it from people who want to know how it works.

“But I don’t like telling people the speeds. That’s my secret.”

It hasn’t been a cheap path to the Caulfield Cup, with total entry fees to run in the Group 1 race approaching $28,000.

The rewards are great, though, with first prizemoney of $1.75m, through to $75,000 if you finish anywhere between sixth and 10th.

“I don’t worry about the money too much, mate,” Kluske said.

“If you enjoy what you’re doing, I’ve always believed that the money follows.

“It means more to me that we’re running in a Group 1.”

Kluske and his gang will be easily spotted at Caulfield, donning the stable colours of lilac and red to match Go Dreaming’s distinctive silks.

“There are about 30 or 40 of us heading across,” he said.

“Most of them will have their lilac on.

“We’ve even got young Brodie Leach our strapper heading across. It’s going to be a great day for everyone.”

Kluske hopes Mallyon’s natural frontrunning style will be a perfect match for Go Dreaming, who also typically races near the lead. His inside barrier draw complements that racing pattern.

“It’s a beautiful barrier for him,” he said.

“One of my mates went and did the draw for me. I told him we wanted between one and seven — and I didn’t mean 17.

“He will go forward. Everyone knows that, so there’s nothing to hide there.

“For a young girl, Katelyn’s going so well. When I had the offer of putting her on, I couldn’t say no.

“She gets them nice and relaxed. She should be perfect for him.

“We spoke on the phone about two minutes after the draw. That’s the first time I’ve spoken to her. I guess I’ll be meeting her for the first time at the track on Saturday.”

It’s certainly going to be a day of firsts for Kluske. As well as preparing his first runner in a Group 1 race, it will also be his first trip to Caulfield.

“I’ve been to Flemington three times but I’ve never been to Caulfield. It’s something new for all of us,” he said.

“I’m sure I’ll have plenty of people to give me a hand to get there, though.

“There are security guards on all the cup horses from 5am on Saturday, so perhaps he can show me the way.”

ben.scadden@news.com.au

Originally published as SA battler dreaming of Caulfield Cup fairytale