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Horse Racing

Dreams should come true at Haydock

June 2024

Live In The Dream can shine for Adam West in the Betfred Passionate About Sport Achilles Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.

The five-year-old provided connections with success at the top level last season, landing the Group One Nunthorpe at York before heading off to the States to aim for the Breeders' Cup.

There he was fourth in the Turf Sprint, capping a fantastic season where he was never out of the money in eight starts.

He returned to action in the Group Two Temple Stakes at Haydock, running a fine race to go down by only 0.5-lengths to the race-fit Kerdos on soft ground.

Now he is back on Merseyside to run over the same trip at Listed level and looks the obvious threat to the rest of the field, particularly now he has a run under his belt and is competing on a quicker surface.

On the same card there are two Group Three races, including the Betfred Nifty 50 Lester Piggott Fillies' Stakes, formerly known as the Pinnacle Stakes.

Charlie Appleby's Sapphire Seas looks the horse to beat, a Frankel filly who was last seen finishing fourth in the Group Two Middleton Stakes at York.

The winner was 6-lengths clear that day, but Sapphire Seas was only marginally behind the runner-up and her prior form, including a 2200m victory at Kempton, suggests this step up to 2400m will be beneficial.

The other Group Three is the Betfred John of Gaunt Stakes, where Ramazan can break a streak of seconds to prevail for Richard Fahey.

Runner-up in his last four starts, including a Listed race and three valuable handicaps, the four-year-old steps up in grade for this event. He is familiar with Haydock, however, and has a flawless record at the track having won there twice before over both 1200m and 1400m.

Fahey's stable is in fantastic form and plenty is thought of the horse that defeated him last time out, Charlie Fellowes' Royal Ascot-bound The Wizard Of Eye.

At Beverley there are two good juvenile races including the Hilary Needler Trophy EBF Fillies' Conditions Stakes, where Adrian Nicholls' Maw Lam catches the eye.

A winner at Thirsk on debut, the Acclamation bay overcame a slow start on that occasion and looks to have plenty more to offer for the future.

The bet365 Two Year Old Trophy Conditions Stakes can also unearth a smart type and Moving Force looks the candidate this time around.

Another from the Fahey yard, this Mehmas colt won nicely over course and distance on debut and is poised to strike again.

There is an interesting contender under the other code at Bangor as Adrian Keatley's Chantico contests the Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Novices' Hurdle.

The five-year-old son of Kingman has been campaigned on the Flat so far, winning once and placing three times from 14 runs over trips varying from 1400m to 2200m.

He changes discipline with a first run over hurdles at Bangor, and he is certainly bred for the job as his dam is Deuce Again - making him a half-brother to Jeremy Scott's superb Cheltenham Festival winner Golden Ace. - Press Association

SELECTIONS:

BANGOR: 14.40 Chantico, 15.15 Getaway Glory, 15.50 Lunar Sovereign, 16.25 Breizh River, 17.00 Clararose, 17.35 Admiral's Sunset, 18.10 Little Big Kev.

BEVERLEY: 14.30 Remoji, 15.05 Maw Lam, 15.40 Moving Force, 16.15 Ugo Gregory, 16.50 Island Native, 17.25 Sun Dancer Girl, 18.00 Barnsnape Boy.

CATTERICK: 15.10 Highfield Heiress, 15.45 Desert Dream, 16.20 Asmund, 16.55 Secret Command, 17.30 Lord Torranaga, 18.05 Albegone, 18.40 Thrilling Dream, 19.10 Resilience.

CHEPSTOW: 18.25 Wedgewood, 19.00 Violet Love, 19.30 Miss Anya, 20.00 Hat Toss, 20.30 Bama Lama, 21.00 Bhubezi, 21.30 Duchess, 22.00 Marmalade Lady.

HAYDOCK: 14.50 LIVE IN THE DREAM (NAP), 15.25 Divina Grace, 16.00 Sapphire Seas, 16.35 Ramazan, 17.10 Tourist, 17.45 Billyjoh, 18.20 Gressington, 18.52 Christian David.

LINGFIELD: 18.45 Taxiing, 19.15 Grey Charger, 19.45 Arctic Mountain, 20.15 Kiss And Run, 20.45 Harvard Sound, 21.15 Lady Wingalong, 21.45 Just Rita.

NAVAN: 14.45 Red Evolution, 15.20 Mehman, 15.55 Eruption, 16.30 Everlasting, 17.05 Going Remote, 17.40 Declaree, 18.15 Doctor Grace.

PUNCHESTOWN: 14.22 Napper Tandy, 14.57 The Banger Doyle, 15.32 Jump The Shark, 16.07 Omniscient, 16.42 My Great Mate, 17.17 Warmer Days Ahead, 17.52 Flashthelights, 18.27 Chart Topper.

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