Dream Ahead Sprinters Make Their Mark

Media Release - Tuesday September 15

Emirates Park co-owned shuttle stallion Dream Ahead (USA) is proving to be the premier sire of open-age sprinters in Britain and Ireland at the minute following a notable brace of Group 1 victories over the space of two weekends.

The first Saturday of September witnessed Dream of Dreams post his maiden success at the highest level when claiming the time honoured Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup — a race won by his own sire Dream Ahead and his sire Diktat before him, not to mention the likes of breed-shapers Invincible Spirit, Danehill and Green Desert.

Dream of Dreams became the fourth individual Group 1 winner for Dream Ahead when brilliantly winning the Haydock Sprint Cup, following Al Wukair (Deauville Prix Jacques Le Marois), Donjuan Triumphant (Ascot British Champions Sprint) and last year’s Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp winner Glass Slippers.

Kept in training to race as a 4-year-old this GB/Ire flat racing season, Glass Slippers recorded her second Group 1 victory last Sunday when claiming the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes over five furlongs at The Curragh on the second day of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend.

One of the fastest fillies seen racing in northern hemisphere in recent times, Glass Slippers had finished second behind the near-unbeatable Battaash at her previous outing and has now claimed two of the most coveted ‘five-furlong’ Group 1 events on the European racing calendar.

Dream Ahead

Though Dream Ahead hasn't stood a southern hemisphere breeding season since 2018, the developments have been closely monitored by Emirates Park CEO Bryan Carlson. Heavily involved when the five-time Group 1 winner was secured for local stud duties back in 2011, he firmly believes that the success the stallion is now enjoying overseas could easily have been replicated here if not for a few near misses.

Advertisement

“Dream Ahead has possibly been a shade unlucky with his runners down here,” states Carlson. “We raced Shumookh, a dual Group 2 winner that defeated a host of Group 1 winners such as Invincibella, Prompt Response, Dixie Blossoms, Daysee Doom and Booker in landing her two feature race successes.

“In addition to Shumookh, Dream Ahead also sired the 2YO and/or 3YO stakes winners Dreams Aplenty, Ken’s Dream, Generalissimo, Sensei, Renewal and Awaken is his first couple of Australian-bred crops to race, and his oldest progeny are still only recently turned 7-year-olds.”

Carlson reports that Emirates Park still have three or four untapped Dream Ahead youngsters in training with the likes of Peter & Paul Snowden, Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Tony Golan and Simon Miller (in Perth) showing promise, and have left their options open about the stallion returning to Australia for future breeding seasons.

In the meantime, Dream Ahead continues to be very much the flavour of the month in Europe, or the flavour of two months to be completely accurate. His Group 1 sprint race double has followed closely on the heels of the Tattersalls Online August Sale in which his 5-year-old daughter Sweety Dream fetched £330,000 as a broodmare prospect. 

News from Emirates Park 

Advertisment
More Reading...
$10 million 2025 Golden Eagle Field and Barrier Draw
The favourites have all fared well after the field and barrier draw was declared for the $10million Golden Eagle at Randwick this Saturday.
Sires With Winners - Monday October 27
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Tara Talks Racing Podcast Online
We’re talking Cox Plate and whether Bucky can win the Cup, plus Godolphin colts, how can you not, they have had a fabulous spring and it’s not over yet!
First Winner for King of Comedy
Novara Park Stud stallion King Of Comedy (IRE) is on the board as a sire, with his son Sir Ruby becoming his first winner when victorious over 1300m at Selangor Turf Club in Malaysia on Sunday.
Farnan Filly Wins by Four!
The Mulberry Racing colours were in the frame at Hawkesbury on Tuesday when the Brad Widdup trained Farnan filly Blue Eyed Brigid bolted in as a short priced favourite.
First Stakes Win for The Autumn Sun Half-Brother
The Listed Chantilly Grand Prix du Nord (2000m) in France overnight provided a first stakes win for blueblood Dubawi colt Azimpour, the half-brother to Champion Australian 3YO Colt and now G1 sire The Autumn Sun.
Day 1 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale 375,000 Guineas for August George
Smart two-year-old AUGUST GEORGE topped the opening day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale at Park Paddocks when selling for 375,000 guineas to Qatari trainer Gassim Ghazali, one of five lots to realise 200,000 guineas or more.
Maher and Waller Strike at Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale
Champion Australian trainers Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher have been active during the first session of the Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale, which was topped last year by Sir Delius (GB) at 1.3million guineas.
Famous Foal with Coolmore Stud Stakes Connections
The Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes this weekend is a race that has developed a deserved reputation as a sire making race and a foal image that arrived to the Breednet Foal Gallery on Monday is a colt with an undeniable connection to this pivotal race for the breeding industry.
Same Race - New Name- $1 million THE MOVE TO STRIKE THOROUGHBRED CLUB STAKES
First run in 1968 and previously featured on Caulfield Cup Day, the Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes enters an exciting new era in 2025.