A fourth Group 1 crown for Dream Ahead
NOT many horses bought for less than £40,000 win a Group race – fewer still land a Group 1.
But this afternoon a £36,000 Blandford Bloodstock purchase won his fourth Group 1 – his name, of course, is Dream Ahead.
Knocked down to the Newmarket agency at the 2010 Doncaster Breeze Up Sale, the son of Diktat seems to scale fresh heights in a career that is turning out to be nigh on brilliant.
His latest top-class triumph arrived at Haydock as he won the Betfred Sprint Cup in the most thrilling and dramatic of fashions.
Trainer David Simcock’s charge played a major part in the most pulsating of 6f contests, fighting out a photo-finish with Bated Breath and Hoof it. The judge’s verdict took an age to arrive, but Dream Ahead was called the winner by a nose.
There was then another lengthy wait for connections after a stewards’ enquiry was called. But happily for owner Khalifa Dasmal, Simcock and jockey William Buick the placings remained unaltered and Dream Ahead had indeed secured a second Group 1 win of the season to go alongside his exciting Darley July Cup success.
Today’s race saw Dream Ahead travel a lot more prominently than when he was beaten into seventh in the Prix Maurice de Gheest last time out.
Out in front he wandered around a bit, but as the challenges came – Bated Breath to his right and Hoof It to his left – Dream Ahead kept finding extra.
Simcock said: “This is just a massive relief. France left us scratching our heads as we thought we had him in great nick for the race.
“William rode him far more prominently today and he battled well. I probably won’t see another horse like him. This is just very special and means as much as his win at Newmarket.”
There were sage words, too, from Buick. “He has got a big head and that is a big help in a finish like that,” said the young rider.
A big head, sure, and also on this evidence plenty of stomach for a fight.