Success at Friday’s Counties meeting will keep a Derby dream alive for Street Smart.

The three-year-old son of Shocking desperately needs cash in the bank to fund his future Group One aspirations and has the chance of a timely deposit when he tackles the Pukekohe Park 2100.

Street Smart has showed staying potential, but that hasn’t translated into enough stake earnings to ensure safe entry into the major lead-up events to the Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on June 11.

“He’s very well, but he does need to win this if he is going to go over to Brisbane,” trainer Shaune Ritchie said. “The prize money is the big problem.”

Street Smart was a debut winner in the spring and was turned out after he had raced greenly when eighth in the Listed BMW Salver.

He was second when resuming at Avondale in March and had no luck when he was slow away at Te Aroha and was then blocked for room in the straight.

It was unfortunately a similar scenario for Street Smart at Ellerslie last time out in the Gr.2 Championship Stakes when he was hampered by a fallen runner and was then denied clear air in the run home until too late.

“He’s a good stayer and he’ll be winning a very good race at some stage,” Ritchie said.

“He might just be the sort of horse that will make the right strides, if all goes to plan, with a bit of sun on his back in Queensland.”