Image courtesy of Ballylinch Stud
While the stallion, who is part-owned by Emirates Park, has not shuttled since standing his final season at Aquis in 2018, he has still managed to produce three stakes winners in Australia this season. That trio is dual black-type winner Marboosha, who won last month's G3 Gold Coast Guineas, as well as Western Australian pair Western Temple and Magical Dream.
On Saturday, in the lead-up to Dream Of Dreams' Royal Ascot success for Ryan Moore and Sir Michael Stoute, Dream Ahead produced a trio of winners in Australia, from places as diverse as Donald, Murray Bridge and McKinlay, as well as having an Australian-bred winner in Singapore.
"The Australian treble took his (Dream Ahead) total winners in the 2020/21 season in this country to a career-high 78 from 166 starters."
The Australian treble took his total winners in the 2020/21 season in this country to a career-high 78 from 166 starters. His overall tally of Australian winners now stands at 189, which includes 10 stakes winners. Chief among that list is the multiple Group 2 winner, Shumookh, who like Marboosha is a homebred for Emirates Park, who supported the stallion heavily with their broodmares when he shuttled here.
He has nicked particularly well with Redoute's Choice mares, with four stakes winners from 10 Australian runners, Dreams Aplenty, Magical Dream, Generalissimo and Awaken, while he has also produced black-type winners with other Danehill (USA)-line stallions such as Exceed And Excel and Choisir.
Similarly, Dream Of Dreams is out of a mare by a son of Danehill in Dansili (GB). Dream Ahead, who now has 31 stakes winners globally, has produced three stakes winners from just six starters out of mares by Dansili.
A sprinting star
Bred by Darley and purchased by Khalifa Dasmal for 36,000 gns (AU$69,930) through the Goffs UK 2010 Breeze-Up Sale, Dream Ahead won six of his nine starts, including the G1 Middle Park S., G1 Darley July Cup, G1 Betfred Sprint Cup and G1 Prix de la Foret.
The son of Diktat's (GB) Australian breeding career began in 2011 with a book of 117 mares at Emirates Park at Murrurundi. From that first crop would come five stakes winners, including his first Australian stakes winner, Ken's Dream.
A further three stakes winners would emerge from his second crop in Australia, while he would retain strong books of mares averaging over 118 in his first six seasons before a book of 47 in what would be his final season here in 2018.
Dream Ahead (USA) | Standing at Haras de Grandcamp
He is now making a name as a broodmare sire in Australia, with recent G2 VRC Sires' Produce S. winner Lightsaber (Zoustar), out of a Dream Ahead mare.
In terms of his European breeding career, initially based from Ballylinch Stud in Ireland he was able to produce four stakes winners in his first crop, eight from his second crop, then four from his subsequent two crops. He then moved to Haras de Grandcamp in France in 2017.
Among that star second crop are the Group 1 winner Al Wukair (Ire) and Saturday's G1 Golden Jubilee S. winner Dream Of Dreams.
Dream double
A 37,000 gns (AU$71,873) purchase by Mick Flanagan at the 2014 Tattersalls December Foal Sale, Dream Of Dreams ended up in the ownership of Saeed Suhail.
Initially trained by Kevin Ryan, he transferred to the stables of Sir Michael Stoute during his 3-year-old season. He would first contest the Diamond Jubilee S. as a 5-year-old in 2019 and was beaten a head by Blue Point (Ire) before returning in 2020 to be beaten the same margin again by Hello Youmzain (Fr).
Dream Of Dreams would break his Group 1 duck with victory in the Sprint Cup S. at Haydock last year, emulating his sire and his grandsire who won the race in 2011 and 1999 respectively.
His deserved Royal Ascot breakthrough came on Saturday when Ryan Moore produced him for a perfectly timed run along the inside of the field to prevail from Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Art Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
It was an 82nd Royal Ascot winner for Stoute, enhancing his remarkable record and with a sense of relief after a week without success to that point.
"I thought I wasn't going to have a Royal Ascot winner this year - it's been tough," Stoute said.
"It's always been tough, but it's been tougher.
"I am delighted. The horse deserves it. The past two years, he has been beaten a head, finishing fastest of all, so I am really thrilled for him. He has got more and more relaxed and doesn't go to post like a sprinter. I thought he was going to pull up halfway down. He is more relaxed and, as a result, a little better.
"He's fully developed and strong now, but it's his mind. He's really, really chilling. He loves a little cut in the ground, but I don't think he's run on ground quite as soft as this so I was a little concerned. Ryan had it all planned and it all worked out.
"Any winner here is a great thrill, particularly a Group 1, but this fellow has just been touched off twice, so I'm pleased for him."
