Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Trainer John Thompson says front-running miler Dreamforce deserves a Group 1 win and there’ll be no prisoners taken in order to claim one at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer John Thompson. (Pic: Bradley Photos)

With the benefit of hindsight Thompson said taking a sit on Dreamforce was probably the wrong move in the Apollo Stakes first-up and it cost him a win so with the blinkers back on expect to see more aggression in the Group 1 $600,000 TAB Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m).

“I think on a firmer track we would have come out more positively and led which would have been playing to our strengths more,’’ Thompson said.

“We rode him for a sit because it looked to be playing off the fence and I think that’s what got us beaten.

“He’s a very honest horse, I’ve never had a more honest horse than him. He’s Mr Consistency, he deserves to get a Group 1. It’ll either be this one or the next one (likely the George Ryder Stakes).’’

Dreamforce won the Liverpool City Cup at the corresponding meeting last year, second-up from a spell, before placing in the George Ryder Stakes, behind Winx, and Doncaster Mile at Group 1 level.

Winx, of course, won the past four runnings of the Chipping Norton, her trainer Chris Waller has won eight of the last nine and jockey Hugh Bowman, who rides Avilius for Godolphin on Saturday, has won seven of the last nine renewals.

Thompson is fine with his decision to reinstate the blinkers but said he would have been happy to leave them off the seven-year-old if he'd known he would draw a gate that means he shouldn’t need to be fired up early to find the front.

“I wanted to try him over the mile without them, I just thought he’d settle better,’’ he said.

“They make him concentrate, he’s fine over 1400m and maybe 1500m but when you get to a mile, like the Epsom run when he drew wide and had to use him to get across he was busted by the corner, he can get on the bridle if you light him up.

“Now we’ve drawn well it wasn’t such a big deal, he should be able to get a pretty soft lead from there. From a good draw with blinkers on he’ll go there easy. He won’t overdo it.’’

Dreamforce opened $5.50 second favourite with TAB behind boom Kiwi Te Akau Shark ($2.50) and Blake Shinn returns from Hong Kong to ride him.

Shinn is unbeaten on the gelding after two rides and when last on board steered him to that Liverpool City Cup win a year ago.

Thompson has also secured Shinn to ride Sweet Deal in the Group 2 $200,000 Guy Walter Proven Thoroughbreds Stakes (1400m).

Sweet Deal surprised her trainer with a dominant first-up win in the Triscay Stakes (1200m) two weeks ago but it’s safe to say he’s a lot more bullish this time around.

Dreamforce runs second in the Apollo Stakes on February 15

“I knew she was going super but the rain put me right off because she’s usually a duffer in the wet and I thought they’d be too sharp for her,’’ he said.

“How good did she go! It’s the same field, she gets in better at the weights and for mine she has come on.

“After the race I was worried it would knock her around a bit, being a bit underdone, but on the Monday she was doing cartwheels and has done well ever since.

“The horse has gone to a new level.’’

The five-year-old started a $14 chance in the Triscay but will be a clear favourite in the Guy Walter if the firm from an opening price of $3.50 into $3.10 on Wednesday is any guide.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's meeting at Royal Randwick