Dreaming Of A Big Payday
Ascot plays host to several good races on Friday, the first of which is the Woodcote Stud Valiant Stakes, which is a listed contest over a distance of one mile. This event features a battle between some older horses with proven form against a select group of promising and less exposed three-year-olds. History would suggest that the younger generation have a slight advantage, having won two of the last three runnings. It has not always been the most obvious choice either, with a few previous winners going off at double figure odds. Therefore, there could be plenty of value to be found, none more so than in the David Simcock trained I’m A Dreamer.
This daughter of Nouverre was unraced as a juvenile and made her belated debut in an ordinary maiden at Yarmouth. In the parade ring, she appeared as though the race would do her the world of good, as she looked a little backward in her coat. This looked totally justified in the race, as she was very slow out of the gate leaving her with quite a lot of work to do. At halfway she began to make significant progress despite showing her inexperience in wandering around. Once she got the hang of things, she made ground hand over fist to get up and score in the final strides.
She was able to build upon that effort next time out in a Goodwood handicap, where despite pulling hard in the early on, she came with a storming run to lead a furlong out and battled on well to hold off the late challenge of Forest Crown by a neck. That made it two wins from two runs and she stepped up again on her final outing to land the hat trick.
Contesting an above average handicap at Newmarket, she travelled strongly in the rear, before coming through with a sweeping run to take up the lead inside the last furlong. Her jockey, Hayley Turner, only had to push her out with hands and heels in order to record the filly’s third successive victory.
Further improvement looks on the cards and as she hails from one of the lesser-known yards, she is likely to start at rewarding odds. She will need to step up though as the favourite for this is an equally promising sort.
Trained by Michael Jarvis, Decorative is a filly with just two runs under her belt. She made quite an impression on racegoers, when making her first appearance as a two-year-old in a Yarmouth maiden. Having been prominent for most of the way, she asserted at the distance and quickened away from her rivals in good style, eventually winning by four lengths from Battlemaiden.
Put away for the rest of the year she did not reappear until the beginning of June, where she was a heavily backed favourite to land a decent handicap at Nottingham. Her supporters were not to be disappointed either, as she showed a good turn of foot to take up the running well inside the last furlong, and score by just under two lengths from Bintalwaadi.
It comes as no surprise to see her step up in grade here, as her trainer is a dab hand with this type of horse. As good a chance as she may have, her odds will be quite short in what is a competitive event so has to be worth opposing on this occasion.
The best of the older horses is likely to be James Fanshawe’s Alsace Lorraine. Her run last time when finishing fourth to Strawberrydaiquiri in the Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot sets the standard. If she can repeat that performance then she would have every chance in what is certainly an easier task. It is also worth noting that she won the Bovis Handicap over this course and distance back in May, and on that evidence, she will be difficult to keep out of the frame.
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