Rainy forecast a dream scenario for Ahead team
June 6, 2011 by: SusanLast season’s joint-top rated juvenile Dream Ahead could make his belated return to action this term in the Group 1 S James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, the race currently dominated by the mighty Frankel, the horse with whom the David Simcock-trained colt shared top billing last term, writes Elliot Slater.
By the time the two top juvenile colts in Europe went head-to-head in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last October, Dream Ahead was almost certainly ‘over the top’ and ran a long way below expectation as Frankel duly won in style, beating subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas winner Roderic O’Connor. Simcock has admitted that he should not have run his stable star in that encounter but felt pressurised by the public clamour to see the two young stars take each other on and gave in.
This term the Newmarket handler has been admirably patient, refusing to let the son of Diktat run on account of the fast ground. With some rain now forecast for the Ascot region in the week leading up to the big race, it seems possible that Dream Ahead might well begin his 2011 campaign by having a crack at Frankel, an outstanding six-length winner of the 2000 Guineas at HQ at the end of April. Those looking at the Royal Ascot odds will be very excited by this prospect.
The winner of a Nottingham maiden on his debut last term, Dream Ahead then stepped up massively in grade and produced a tremendous performance to win the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville last August, beating Tin Man, who last month went on to land the French 2000 Guineas. In October Simcock’s charge destroyed a high-class field to win the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes by a stunning nine lengths, before being brought back just two weeks later to take on Frankel.
Now, reportedly working in great style, Simcock hopes his patience will be rewarded and that Dream Ahead can begin to make up for lost time this term. He is offered at around 33/1 for the St James’s Palace Stakes in a market that revolves solely around Frankel, currently a red-hot 3/10 favourite.
