Trainer Adam West believes Live In The Dream will be "a force to be reckoned with" in Saturday's Betfred Temple Stakes at Haydock Park.
The four-year-old won handicaps at Sandown and also at the May Festival at Chester last season and started the new campaign with another success on all-weather victory at Lingfield in March. The gelded son of Prince Of Lir followed up in another handicap in soft conditions at Pontefract, before stepping up to Group Three company at Newmarket at the start of the month. He was only just beaten into second late on by Vadream in the Palace House Stakes at Headquarters and is set to step again to Group Two company in the feature at the Merseyside track this weekend.
It will be Live In The Dream's biggest test and he is a best-priced 7-1 with William Hill against the likes of proven Group performers – The Platinum Queen and Dramatised – who are 3-1 and 4-1 respectively at the head of the betting. But his Epsom-based trainer is hopeful he can prove he deserves to be pitched into this higher grade.
West said: "I've just watched him do his last blow and we're very happy with him. He has a lot of things in his favour and a couple of the horses in front of him (in the betting) have yet to have a run (this season). As much as these trainers can ready them, they're serious horses and won't be going undercooked, having a run in a sprint is a big advantage. If we get a nice draw we'll be a force to be reckoned with, I think."
Live In The Dream has not run on quick ground since he scored on good to firm at Sandown last April. West, though, thinks he is better on a sounder surface. He added: "He should be a little bit better on better ground. The soft ground has done his confidence good as he's been able to dominate and is going in there really happy, but now we've actually got a surface that lets him utilise his speed a little bit more it can only be a good thing."
Unlike some of his rivals, Live In The Dream will not be heading to Royal Ascot next month for the Group One King's Stand Stakes and connections are unlikely to supplement him should he triumph at Haydock on Saturday.
West said: "We made the decision before the Palace House that we weren't going to Ascot. You get tempted when you've got a good horse that's in-form to enter in everything and try to do everything, but we're trying to keep a clear path and the stiffer five (furlongs) would be going away from what he's good at."
Roger Varian's The Platinum Queen remains the favourite for the Temple Stakes as she looks to book a trip to next month's Royal Ascot. The three-year-old Cotai Glory filly won four times as a juvenile including at Glorious Goodwood and most spectacularly when landing the Group One Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines at ParisLongchamp in October. She was also second in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes and may have been feeling the effects of a long season when 11th of 12 at the Breeders' Cup in Keeneland in November.
The seven-race card at Haydock also includes the Group Two Betfred Nifty Fifty Sandy Lane Stakes, which has also been used as a stepping to the Royal meeting in the past with the Group One Commonwealth Cup the natural progression. Aidan O'Brien's Little Big Bear – a superb winner over the same six furlong trip in the Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh during his juvenile campaign last July – is set to drop back in trip after disappointing over the mile in the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month. The No Nay Never colt is currently the 5-2 favourite with most bookmakers. Karl Burke's Cold Case, who won the Group Three British Racing School 40th Anniversary Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot last month, is a 4-1 chance with Coral and BetVictor to triumph and book a return trip to Berkshire next month. Last season's Coventry Stakes hero Bradsell is also among the current 12 entries and is a best-priced 3-1 with Coral and bet365.
The seven-furlong Silver Bowl Handicap is another pointer to Royal Ascot and John and Thady Gosden's Covey is currently a best-priced 5-1 favourite with Coral, having won twice this season at Newmarket and on the all-weather at Newcastle earlier this month. Irish raider Age Of Kings – from the O'Brien stable – and the Charlie Appleby-trained Local Dynasty are also among the 24 entries at the five-day declaration stage and are near the head of the betting at 8-1 and 6-1 with Coral respectively.
Saturday's meeting is the third of three days action at the Merseyside track with Thursday's seven-race card starting at 2.30pm with Friday's meeting beginning at 2.05pm. The first race on Saturday, the Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Florida Handicap Stakes, is due off at 1.15pm with the finale at 4.45pm. Gates open at 11.15am and tickets start from £22. To book tickets and for more information go online at https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/haydock/events-tickets/may-festival/
