Success in Europe’s top sprint for Dream
BLANDFORD purchase Dream Ahead produced his brilliant best to nail a thrilling Group 1 July Cup success at Newmarket this afternoon.
Bought by Blandford for just £36,000 at the Doncaster Breeze-up sales last year, the son of Diktat has now notched three Group 1 victories.
This one was probably his best yet as the 6f contest at the July Course is widely regarded as Europe’s premier sprint. So often the race provides a season’s champion sprinter.
Owner Khalifa Dasmal’s colt was a dual Group winner last season and relished the drop back to sprinting, having finished fifth in the St James’s Palace Stakes on his first start of the year.
With Dream Ahead’s regular rider William Buick in action at York, Hayley Turner stepped in and rode a perfect race on the 7/1 chance.
Turner settled her mount in behind the leader before making her move two furlongs from home. Dream Ahead responded by showing his tremendous turn of foot to collar Bated Breath inside the final furlong, winning by half a length.
Winning trainer David Simcock said: “This is important for the horse. He was joint-top rated two-year-old last season and I was very protective of his rating so this is more of a relief than anything.
“He won the Prix Morny in a fast time last year and I think the ground was faster than good that day. The plan now is the Prix Maurice de Gheest.”
For jockey Hayley Turner, it was a monumental success – this being her first at Group 1 level.
She said: “It’s massive. I’m just thrilled. It’s really fantastic.”
Dream Ahead is out of a Cadeaux Genereux mare called Land Of Dreams, who was a two-time Group winner – including the Flying Childers Stakes.