Dream Of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) exited his popular victory in last weekend's G1 Diamond Jubilee S. “remarkably well,” according to Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail. The 7-year-old gelding was winning the Royal Ascot sprinting showpiece after finishing runner-up in the prior two renewals for trainer Sir Michael Stoute.
“We were delighted, and he's come out of the race very, very well,” Raymond said. “His owner was absolutely delighted; he wanted to know if he can keep the trophy so I said, 'no, you have to win it twice.' He just said, 'well, we'll do it next year then!'”
Raymond also praised Stoute's training performance.
“He looks straightforward but he's a horse that doesn't work with any other horses at all and exercises mostly on his own, not because he's crazy or anything, I just think it suits him better,” Raymond said. “I haven't seen him gallop, he just breezes on his own and to do it with a 7-year-old is good, to get him there in a top-class race without a prep run is pretty clever.”
Dream Of Dreams holds an entry for the July 11 G1 July Cup, but Raymond said the Aug. 8 G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest is more likely.
“I don't know [if he'll run in the July Cup] but I would doubt it, I'm just not sure about him going down the hill at Newmarket,” Raymond said. “Maybe the race in Deauville over six and a half furlongs [Prix Maurice de Gheest], we might step him up, there's only certain races we can go for when you've got to stick to a pattern.”
Although the Diamond Jubilee was a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Raymond said that is also unlikely.
“I personally think the horse would get a mile in America, but it hasn't been discussed, these are only just my thoughts,” he said. “I think he'd get the mile in America, I really do, because he stays the seven well at Newbury. The Breeders' Cup Sprint I think would be too sharp for him, they'd be gone.”
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