Emirates Park shuttle stallion Dream Ahead (USA) has edged to the front in the coveted First Season Sires (by earnings) title race with just two weeks left of domestic competition.

Saturday’s interstate programs witnessed Dream Ahead leapfrog his major rivals when the Queensland-raced Happy Event posted her third career victory with a brilliant front running display on the Brisbane metropolitan program at Eagle Farm.

In claiming the winner’s cheque of $40,200, Happy Event took her own seasonal earnings to $160,800 and her sire’s progeny earnings in 2015/16 to a figure of $446,540. The sum took Dream Ahead above the likes of Smart Missile, Sepoy, Foxwedge, Helmet, So You Think and other former Group 1 winners in the category.

Dream Ahead’s feat to the lead the freshman standings so late in the season is all the more impressive when his number of starters is taken into consideration. The emerging stallion leads the division through the deeds of just 19 starters — a contingent significantly fewer than that of main adversaries Smart Missile (47), Foxwedge (39), Sidereus (32), Sepoy (27) and Helmet (26).

Should Dream Ahead hold on to claim the title, the Emirates Park owned stallion will be winning the second major sire honour of his flourishing stud career. He was also Champion First Season Sire of France in 2015.