Talking Horses: Live In The Dream off to Breeders’ Cup after giant-killing

In a sport that is increasingly dominated, at the highest level at least, by billionaires and sovereign wealth, Live In The Dream’s 28-1 frontrunning victory in the Nunthorpe Stakes was an uplifting reminder that even now, a small stable can sometimes land a significant blow.

It also revealed that Adam West, who is now a Group One-winning trainer from his 46-horse stable in Epsom, has a gift for one-liners. “What were your thoughts during the race?” West was asked. “I’m going to swallow my chewing gum,” he replied.

Live In The Dream was lightning-fast from the stalls and a couple of lengths clear of Highfield Princess, one of the speediest sprinters around, within a handful of strides.

Highfield Princess made a little ground in the closing stages but the jockey Sean Kirrane, who was also enjoying the biggest win of his career, still had a one-length advantage at the line, and since the Nunthorpe is a win-and-you’re-in for the Breeders’ Cup, Live In The Dream’s connections can now also look forward to a trip to Santa Anita in November for the Turf Sprint.

“Ryan [Moore] rode him here last year in a handicap and came sixth,” Steve De’Lemos, who owns Live In The Dream with his wife, Jolene, said. “He said: ‘Try and keep him to his strengths, he’s so quick and rapid out of the gates so keep him to a turning track,’ and we were looking at Del Mar and Santa Anita and all that. The costs were too much and I couldn’t send him, but now we’re going anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

“It’s amazing for Adam, he’s a good guy and a young trainer who’s going places and if people put faith in him, I’m sure they’ll be rewarded.”

De’Lemos also owns horses called Live In The Moment and Live A Little Crazy – which, as he pointed out, “is what we’re going to do tonight” – while West, a former jockey, will now plan towards his ultimate target in California later this year.

“I was just waiting for them to come to him and he found a little bit more,” West said. “He’s always been very, very quick, and at the beginning of his career, I was frustrated that he was never allowed to use it, everyone was riding a little conservatively.

“It took Sean to listen to me and ride him at home, and work it out together. We just needed to nick those lengths and on these tracks, he’s very hard to peg back.

“I was clicking my heels at a comment someone made that he was the fastest horse over four furlongs. He’s the fastest horse over five furlongs now.”

The £300,000 first prize for the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap on Saturday is significantly more than some of this season’s Group One winners will earn and the highlight of York’s Festival meeting has, as ever, attracted an ultra-competitive field in which a case can be made for all but a couple of the runners.

Sweet William will be top of the shortlist for many punters after a smooth success at Goodwood last time but the ground will be very different on Saturday and 7-2 is a thin price for what will be a far more demanding assignment.

HMS President, Live Your Dream and Jackfinbar should all be on the premises but marginal preference at the likely odds is for Andrew Balding’s Scampi (3.35).

He posted an excellent time when successful at the Shergar Cup meeting and while the runner-up, Wotton’sun, did little to frank the form in Friday’s opener, Scampi has strong course form at the May meeting, remains relatively unexposed at 14 furlongs and should have a strong pace to chase before arriving late on the scene.

York 1.50 Faster ground may see an improved showing by Nostrum after an odds-on reverse on testing going at Goodwood earlier this month, but he is very short in the betting for a colt with a question to answer and El Drama could be overpriced at around 3-1. He put up a career-best performance on his debut for Karl Burke behind the rejuvenated Al Aasy at Haydock last time and is closely matched with the favourite on that form.

Goodwood 2.05 Forever Blue was a comfortable winner first time up at Haydock earlier this month and Ralph Beckett’s two-year-olds invariably progress from their debut.

York 2.25 This looked to be the obvious target for the fast-progressing Lordship when he shrugged off an 8lb rise in the ratings to win at Haydock in early July and a further 9lb hike may not be enough to stop William Haggas recording a third Melrose Handicap success in five years.

Goodwood 2.40 The drop to Group Two company could do the trick for Charyn after five consecutive starts at the highest level, the latest being a four-and-a-half length third behind Paddington in the Sussex Stakes over course and distance.

Quick GuideGreg Wood’s Saturday tipsShow

Goodwood 1.30 Al Hujaija 2.05 Forever Blue 2.40 Charyn 3.15 Rhoscolyn 3.50 Lucky Fifteen 4.25 Faustus 4.55 Nathanael Greene

Newmarket 1.40 Jonny Concrete 2.10 Hakuna Babe 2.45 Dasho Lennie 3.20 Geologist 3.55 Diligent Harry 4.32 Kiaraad 5.03 Foreseeable Future 

York 1.50 El Drama 2.25 Lordship 3.00 Sacred 3.35 Scampi (nb) 4.10 Lethal Levi (nap) 4.45 Purosangue 5.20 Innse Gall

Cartmel 2.15 Duleek Street 2.50 Fringill Dike 3.25 Dukehill 4.00 Young Merlin 4.36 Coeur Aimant 5.06 Ambassador 5.36 Aramax 

Redcar 4.28 Freak Out 4.59 Ingleby Archie 5.30 Propitious 6.00 Ey Up Its The Boss 6.30 Can Can Girl 7.00 Crypto Quest 7.30 Bayraat 8.00 Rainbow Rain 

Windsor 5.15 As If By Chance 5.50 James’s Delight 6.20 Sea The Casper 6.50 Passenger 7.20 One Step Beyond 7.50 Major Major 

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York 3.00 Sacred was just a neck behind Khaadem in a Group One at the royal meeting in June and the step back up to seven furlongs – the trip over which she landed the Hungerford at Newbury as a three-year-old – should see a return to winning form.

York 4.10 The seventh furlong stretched Lethal Levi when he was stepped up from sprinting last time but he is 2lb lower in the ratings now and back at the track and trip where he went down by just a neck at the Dante meeting.