Guard Your Dreams

Guard Your Dreams did well to keep on as well as he did to win the two-mile handicap hurdle that brought proceedings to a close at Sandown on Saturday. Totterdown got out in front early on and set a fast pace, as is Totterdown’s wont, and Guard Your Dreams led the chasers. By the time they got to the top of the home straight, Totterdown started to wilt, Guard Your Dreams was left in front and they started to assemble in behind him. Monsieur Lecoq and The Pink’n closed up, as did Friend Or Foe, who looked to be travelling best of all. He picked up too, but Guard Your Dreams was game in front. He held off Friend Or Foe on the run-in and went on to win nicely.

This was just a fourth run over hurdles for Nigel Twiston-Davies’ horse. His three previous runs were all in novice company at Bangor, and he won two of them, including his previous race by 10 lengths in a first-time hood, from Barichello, who ran well in defeat at Catterick over Christmas. This was a nice step forward by Guard Your Dreams, into a handicap for the first time and racing off a mark of 128. The handicapper raised him by 7lb for this to a mark of 135, but he has only just turned five and this was just his fourth run over hurdles. Also, he showed a really good attitude here, and there could be more to come.

Sandown, 2^nd January 2021