Live in The Dream and Sean Kirrane winning the Nunthorpe Stakes © Photo Healy Racing
Jason Hart has received the call-up to ride Live In The Dream in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood next Friday, as Adam West searches for the missing link that will return his star sprinter to the peak of his powers.
The five-year-old provided West with his first Group One victory when landing the Nunthorpe in blistering fashion last year and then took his connections on a dream trip to Santa Anita, where he was a gallant fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
The man in the saddle both at York and in America was Sean Kirrane, who has partnered Live In The Dream in 15 of his 23 starts and has played a key part in the gelding’s journey to the top of the sprinting ladder.
However, having failed to strike in three outings this term, West is keen to find out if there is a piece of the puzzle he is missing in his quest to return Live In The Dream to winning ways and has turned to an experienced hand for assistance.
The Epsom-based trainer stresses Kirrane “hasn’t done anything wrong” aboard the son of Prince Of Lir, but it will be Hart in the saddle on the Sussex Downs as West taps into his wealth of knowledge acquired from previously steering the likes of King George rival Big Evs and multiple Group One scorer Highfield Princess.
West said: “Sean hasn’t done anything wrong and is still a part of our team. We love using Sean when we can and he is mainly based up north, so it can be difficult to use him as regularly as we like.
“With this horse in particular, Sean knows him very well, but we just want to make sure we are not missing anything and want the advice of a jockey who has ridden in these races and ridden against Live In The Dream and who can advise us if we are missing anything or can improve on anything.
“Jason is coming in to ride him on Monday and will ride him on Friday, all being well. He’s won big races on Big Evs and with Highfield Princess, who was behind us in the Nunthorpe.
“He knows the pace the horse can do and has actually ridden him as a two-year-old as well, so we’re just looking for some advice.”
