Unknown Gelding Scores Shock Win in G1 Nunthorpe

Tara Madgwick - Saturday August 26

The Group I Nunthorpe Stakes (5f) at York last night featured a field including G1 sprint stars Highfield Princess and Bradsell, but the glamour pair were run off their feet by an unknown gelding having his first run in a G1 race!

Aptly named Live in the Dream had never won a stakes race, but had run well enough to place in several giving trainer Adam West the confidence to roll the dice.

Advertisement

Ridden a heady race by Sean Kirrane he led all the way to win by a length over Highfield Princess and Bradsell to the great surprise of punters.

A four year-old gelding by Kodiac stallion Prince of Lir, Live in the Moment was the first G1 winner for the trainer, jockey, owner and sire!

"I left the parade ring on a 28-1 shot and I was waiting for them to come and get me. That allowed me a little bit more time to keep my horse on the bridle and that really suited him. When I asked him, God didn't he quicken away from them? He's done it so well. It's a surreal experience. It's massive for me,” said Sean Kirrane.

Adam West was elated after the win with the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint a possibility for the future.

"I'm going to swallow my chewing gum! I was waiting for them to come to him and he just found a little bit more. It was amazing,” he said.

"He's always been very, very quick. At the beginning of his career I was frustrated that he never was allowed to use it.

"Everyone was riding a little conservatively and it took Sean to listen to me and ride him at home and work it out that we just needed to nick those lengths. On these tracks he's very hard to peg back."

Live in the Dream was bought for just 24,000 pounds from the Goffs Sportsman’s Yearling Sale and runs for Steve and Jolene De’Lemos. He has the overall record of six wins and four placings from 18 starts with this victory his first in a stakes race.

Live in the Dream is a half-brother to stakes-placed Live in the Moment and is the best of four winners from Approaching Autumn, an unraced New Approach daughter of stakes-winner Autumn Wealth.

He is the first Group I winner among three stakes-winners for Prince of Lir, who was standing at Ballyhane Stud in Ireland for 3,300 euros before his sale to India last year.

Advertisment
More Reading...
30 Runners in Goffs Million!
The stage is set for Europe’s richest two-year-old race, the Goffs Million (7f), which has attracted a maximum field of 30 runners at the Curragh this Saturday and the €1 million contest, with prize money down to 10th, is only open to graduates of last year’s Goffs Orby Sale.
Sires With Winners - Friday September 26
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Magic Carpet Writes New Chapter for Family
Jenna McLeod got a massive thrill when watching the latest generation of her family’s breed score at stakes level at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Satono’s Stunning Stats Continue as Rich Hill Sires Shine
Rich Hill Stud’s Group 1 stallion roster was the dominant force at Te Rapa’s premier meeting with their progeny claiming a feature race double.
Kiwi Stayer Chasing Melbourne Cup Golden Ticket
Wolfgang, who races as Mister Wolfgang in Australia, will get his first opportunity to earn a golden ticket into the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) when he heads to Flemington on Saturday.
Golden Rose Brings Second Season Shake Up
We are two months into a new racing season and the second season sires table was given a good shake up over the weekend with the $1million Group I Golden Rose and $300,000 Group II Stutt Stakes both producing a quinella for sires in this cohort.
New Stakes-Winner for Star Aussie Mare Sea Siren
Aussie bred Fastnet Rock mare Sea Siren has certainly made her mark both on the racetrack where she was a triple Group I winner and at stud with her produce record is headed by triple Group I winner Warm Heart and over the weekend she produced another stakes-winner and he won the richest race in Poland.
Manhattan Rain Gold Rush in WA
Geisel Park won’t be the only WA breeder on board when the first locally-conceived 2yo crop of its Group 1 sire Manhattan Rain get mobile this season.
Jenni The Pride of Trelawney
Comeback mare Pride Of Jenni has given Trelawney Stud a number of reasons to look forward to the spring after a dashing victory in the Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on Friday night.
My Wish on Track for G1 HK International Mile
The Mark Newnham trained Flying Artie gelding My Wish was crowned Most Improved Horse at the annual awards night in Hong Kong at the end of last season and has wasted no time confirming that potential with a dazzling first up win in the Group III Celebration Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.