Dream delivers despite market drift

I Have A Dream stayed on strongly to take the Essential Drogheda Magazine Maiden for trainer Aidan O’Brien with his son Joseph aboard.

The 3yo son of Galileo was having his third career start this afternoon and his first as a 3yo.

He ran twice last year as a 2yo finishing well beaten on his debut at the Curragh behind Call To Battle before just going down by a short head to stable-mate Thomasgainsborough at Leopardstown last October.

Both those runs came over a mile and stepped up to a mile and a half today he showed his liking for this trip staying on well to hit the front under a furlong out before going on to score by three and three parts of a length.

The winner was very easy to back and having opened at Evens this morning drifted out to an opening show on course of 2/1.

He drifted further out to 5/2 joint favourite at the off.

The John Carr trained Benash ran on to take second at 7/1 while the other 5/2 joint favourite Faanan Aldaar was a further half a length back in third.

Winning trainer Aidan O’Brien said afterwards: "This is my fifth time here since I rode as an amateur in the earlier nineties.

"I was worried about the ground I thought he might get tired on it. He might get even further judging by that performance.

"It’s tough going out there. They do a great job here. I’ve never been here before as a trainer."

The winner is a half-brother to Popmurphy, who was placed in Listed company for trainer James Hartnett.

(On-course reporting by Michael Graham)