Little-known Epsom-based trainer says four-year-old will go to Santa Anita after securing a place in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint via the ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge at York
GB: Trainer Adam West will get to live the dream of having a runner at the Breeders’ Cup after the star of his small Epsom stable Live In The Dream took on and beat the big boys to capture the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday [Aug 25].
Constantly reminded that he is the namesake of the actor Adam West, who played Batman in the cult 1960s TV series, the trainer created his own reason to be famous when Live In The Dream blitzed the 16-runner field to claim the £500,000 feature.
After breaking like a shot from a gun, the four-year-old made all to land the Ebor meeting sprint highlight by a length from last year’s winner Highfield Princess, the 7-5 favourite, with Royal Ascot winner Bradsell another three-quarters of a length back in third.
On ground described as good to firm, Live In The Dream stopped the clock in a rapid 56.87s for five furlongs. He has won six of his 18 career starts.
West trains a string of 40 Flat and jumps horses at his yard on the edge of Epsom racecourse, home of the Derby, but nowhere near the force it once was as a training base.
He had never before trained a Group winner, let alone one at the top level – and Live In The Dream is only his eighth winner of 2023 on the Flat.
However, West harbours big ambitions for Live In The Dream and was considering a trip to California even before the horse secured a guaranteed start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, with travel expenses included, via the ‘Win And You’re In’ process.
“We were going to take him for a race at Del Mar but we costed it – we’re not a big yard and it was too expensive to go,” he explained.
“But now I can’t wait to go to Santa Anita, let’s take them on,” he went on. “It is an amazing op
portunity and something we never ever thought we would get.
The gelded son of Prince Of Lir has improved through the grades, winning two handicaps and being placed in two Group races.
Lining up in G1 company for the first time at York, he pinged the gates and was taken straight into the lead by his apprentice jockey Sean Kirrane. Highfield Princess tried to run him down but finished a length short of the 28-1 winner at the line.
“I never thought it was possible to win,” West admitted. “We were laughing about there being six places and how his odds were so skinny. We should have backed him to win!
“I’ve had a Group 1 winner, it’s amazing.”
After winning the Nunthorpe in 2022, the gallant Highfield Princess was fourth to Caravel in last year’s Turf Sprint at Keeneland. West and Live In the Dream’s owners Steve & Jolene De’Lemos immediately signalled their intentions to follow in her footsteps by heading to Santa Anita in November.
“I think we’ll go to the Breeders’ Cup as I think he’s 10lb better on a turning track,” said West. “That’s a big statement, but I do. He can get a breather round a bend whereas on these straight courses he usually can’t, but he just nicked enough today.
He continued: “This is incredible. I never thought anything like this would happen. It’s a really tough game at the moment and you look at how things are and you think ‘is this a future?’ And then you get something like this and it changes everything.”
Live In The Dream became the first G1 winner trained from Epsom since Harbour Law won the St Leger in 2016.
“All this week and the last six months Epsom has been quoted saying it needs a Group 1 winner and they have just had one,” he said.
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