Today's Spotlight
DO I DREAM

This filly was well-supported on her first turf run of the season at Pontefract last time, in a race she won in 2023 from a mark 3lb higher (off 59 in 2024, won it off 62 in 2023).

She was beaten there by the well-backed favourite Wintercrack, with the two of them pulling 3 lengths clear of the third (hence the subsequent 3lb rise despite losing).

Today’s heavy ground holds no fears, and she ran very well to finish 2nd on her only start at Ripon back in 2022.

Coincidentally, that was also a race where she finished 2nd to a well-supported horse with daylight back to the third.

With only 2 wins from 22 starts, it’s arguable that she is not the easiest horse to win with.

Another thing that tempers enthusiasm slightly, is that after her win at Ponte last year, she ran again a couple of weeks later (similar spacing between races to this year), but was very disappointing.

However, the trainer stated after the race that she didn’t enjoy being drawn wide in a small field. Also, she was subsequently off the track for 65 days before coming back to form in her next start, suggesting there were physical issues that contributed to that run.

Focusing on the here and now, she likes the course, distance and ground, ran an absolute blinder last time, hitting the line hard, and was only beaten by a well-handicapped winner.

The race today is a fractional rise in grade, but very few of the opposition come here in good form. The exception, Hostelry, has been very weak in the market this morning. It doesn’t look like the yard are expecting a follow up in a far weaker race at Thirsk last week (up from Class 6 to Class 4 today).

Overall, Do I Dream has an awful lot going for her today, and with a very handy draw in stall 2, should take a tonne of beating.