Goldream Upsets King's Stand Stakes at Ascot
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Longshot Goldream won the biggest race of his career when the 6-year-old gelding won a photo finish over another longshot, Medicean Man, in the King's Stand Stakes (Eng-I) on opening day at Royal Ascot June 16.
Racing in the middle of the racecourse in the five-furlong sprint, 9-year-old Medicean Man and jockey Joao Moreira held the lead late before being caught at the line by Goldream, ridden by Martin Harley. According to Racing Post, Goldream was sent off at 20-1 odds, with Medicean Man at 50-1 odds in the 18-horse field. Muthmir finished third. Sole Power, the favorite seeking a record third win in the King's Stand, never was in contention to finish fifth.
The final time over good to firm turf was :59.11.
The victory was the first in group I company for Goldream, who provided trainer Robert Cowell with his second King's Stand triumph in the past five years. The first win for Cowell at the highest level came in the 2011 King's Stand with Prohibit.
A son of Oasis Dream produced from Clizia, by Machiavellian, Goldream was bred in Great Britain by Tsega Breeding Limited. The gelding, who has won six of 31 career starts for owners J. Sargeant and Mrs. J. Morley, won his first stakes two races back in the Pearl Bloodstock Palace House Stakes (Eng-III) at Newmarket.
Cowell said the course condition likely played a role in the victory.
"He's a fast ground horse," Cowell said. "He's been training beautifully, but he'd been training beautifully going into the Temple Stakes. He's not a soft ground horse. He loves to hear his feet rattle, and he got that today.
"He's genuine and wants to win the race and I think that's such an important asset in a sprinter. The last furlong felt like four or five minutes, although I know it was only about 12 seconds. It was a fantastic ride by Martin (Harley)."
"When I kicked and went between them just inside the furlong, he picked up well and, by God, he is game," said jockey Harley. "I was lucky because I changed my hand with a furlong to go and nearly dropped my stick."
"I've never been happier to finish second but at the same time it is frustrating," said Jeremy Gask, who trains Medicean Man. "It was a bob of the heads and his head was up right at the line. He would have fulfilled a life ambition to win this race but we have to be pleased with that.
"Not everything went to plan as he did get exposed early on and he would have liked more cover early on but it was still a great performance."
The Ascot stewards later suspended Joao Moreira, the rider of Medicean Man, for being in breach of racing rules when he used his whip above the permitted level. Moreira, who was a late replacement for the injured Damien Oliver, was suspended from June 30-July 6 and fined £650.