Looks can be deceiving but Burridge and his team were confident that they had a nice one on their hands after Street Of Dreams hit the training track in earnest.
"He was a nice-looking horse for sure," said Burridge on Tuesday morning.
"He's a good mover and when he started working, we definitely liked what we saw.
"His early trials suggested that he had plenty of ability. We thought he could win on debut (March 13, 2022) but to be fair, he had a tough run that day and he wasn't far away at the finish."
The rest was well documented. Wind issues at his second start and a subsequent second tie-back operation put a stop to any short-term grand plans but an eye-catching first-up run over the mile in July was promising, to say the least.
"The wind problem was not ideal but (Singapore Turf Club Veterinarian) Dr Dan (Shaw) did a great job and we got him gelded at the same time," continued Burridge.
"He had excuses at his next start but his Maiden win (October 2, 2022) was super and he showed his class winning his next two in Class 4 (races).
"His last win over the mile on (Singapore) Gold Cup day (November 19) was probably his best. (Jockey) Manoel (Nunes) switched him off early, eased him out at the top of the straight and he (Street Of Dreams) picked them up in 20 yards. Very exciting!"
The step up from Class 4 to Class 3 is a big ask, so while Burridge thinks the Joe Giovanni-owned gelding should take in in his big stride, he is respectful of his competition.
"We obviously have a high opinion of him (Street Of Dreams ) – we even considered sending him to Dubai for some of their pre-carnival races - but this race on Saturday is not an easy one," mused the experienced Australian conditioner.
"(Trainer) Stephen's (Gray) horse (Silent Is Gold) has very good form and looked in good nick at the trials the other day (won trial no. 3 on January 3 in 1 min 0.41secs). He's a nice horse and very progressive.
"But we also won our trial last week (trial no. 3 on January 5 in 59.66 secs) and Manoel was pretty happy with how he is going. It's a real good test for him over 1200m as we are looking at better races over longer this preparation.
"If he stays right in the wind, he's a (Group 1 Singapore) Derby horse for sure."
The Group 1 Singapore Derby (1800m) will be held on July 23 this year and it will be the third and final leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge series which was reinstated this season. The first two legs of the series comprise of the Group 3 Silver Bowl (1400m) on June 11 and the Group 2 Stewards' Cup (1600m) on July 2.
Nunes, his regular partner, agreed with Burridge.
"I think he will be a (Singapore) Derby horse," said the four-time Singapore champion jockey.
"Steven is doing a great job with him. He (Street Of Dreams) trialled really well last week and while he would show his best over longer, this is a nice race for a start.
"He's the kind of horse you look after. He's got speed but he also can take a sit, so I'm excited to ride him."
Burridge – who opened the season with two long shots in Rumble ($486) and Ima ($143) - also has Ironchamp nominated in the Class 3 sprint on Saturday, and two others - Lim's Dreamwalker and Seson - in the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1200m.
"Yes, it was a good start to the year but it's a bit of a shock to be honest," said a candid Burridge.
"Great for the Rumble guys (MMW Stable, owners of both Rumble and Ima) – they had a tough time in 2022 – so terrific to see them lead in two winners on the opening day.
"The others on Saturday (Ironchamp, Lim's Dreamwalker and Seson) will be competitive, but obviously Street Of Dreams is my best.
"Horses like him makes it easy to get up in the mornings."
