Icon Dream

The David Wachman-trained Icon Dream ran well to finish second in the Chester Vase on Thursday. The Sadler’s Wells three-year-old missed the start, forfeited about two or three lengths and so had to be held up. Still last leaving the back straight, he appeared to be travelling best of all at that point, and he made a terrific amount of ground to swoop past everything on the outside to take it up one furlong out. However, the leader Ted Spread battled back gamely on the inside to regain the lead and, while Icon Dream tried to battle back again, he could not get back up before the line to deny the game winner.

Having looked all over the winner just inside the final furlong, connections will be disappointed with second place, but they can take comfort from the fact that they now know they have a very nice horse on their hands. He looked like he may have appreciated a longer distance in the Ballysax at Leopardstown, which was run at a muddling pace with nearly the whole field finishing in a bunch, and that was also the case here. With the benefit of that run, only his second start, and the extra two furlongs, he ran a cracker here. Although he missed the start again, he got into the race easily and quickly moved past some decent horses on the turn, only just going down to a game rival. The winner himself is decent, probably better than has generally been appreciated, he was ultra-game here when headed and he will be better again over slightly further. The Chester Vase usually produces a winner capable of competing at the very top and the form this year looks solid, these two pulled away from the rest.

Clearly the stalls have been a problem for David Wachman’s colt, he has lost ground at the start on each of his three runs now. This run being only his third ever start, it is likely that he will improve again with the experience and if they can manage to sort his stalls problem out, he is an even better prospect. He should be capable of winning at this level before going onto even better things.

6th May 2010

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