Drizzle may dampen Dream's run | Canterbury Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Canterbury

Trainer Neill Ridley had special reason to look gloomy as the rain drizzled down outside his Burnham stables this week.

His six-year-old mare Just A Dream has been the star of the Riccarton autumn carnival, but the weather is a blow to her chances of completing a hat-trick tomorrow with the big one ? the $100,000 Gold Cup.

Just A Dream has already scooped up the $75,000 Breeders Stakes and the $70,000 Easter Cup, both over 1600m.

The 1800m Gold Cup will be her first race beyond that distance. "But I think the track might trip her up," said Ridley as he contemplated the likely heavy going.

"She's not a weight for age horse. She's not that big." The track, he said, would be "bottomless" after this week's rain.

Victory for Just A Dream would be popular. The horse's seven career wins have all been at Riccarton.

And five came with Judy Lawson riding, before Chris Johnson won the Breeders and Terry Moseley the Easter Cup. Moseley will be in the saddle again tomorrow.

With career earnings of more than $130,000, Just A Dream has been in peak form this season, which will be her last before stud. She was an immature horse when she was younger, said Ridley, who has trained her right through.

North Island star Balmuse, last year's winner, is back again after chalking up his long-awaited 13th career win in the Marlborough Cup. And Michael Pitman, the most successful trainer at the Riccarton autumn meetings, has two contenders in Coup Christchurch, which has had two wins in a row, and Coup Callum.

Diamonds On The Inside, which Stephen Fleming part-owns, may cheer him up after his disappointment in the Caribbean.

The historic Gold Cup is Australasia's oldest weight for age race.