FIVE years ago, My Dream Boat sprang a surprise in one of the feature races at Royal Ascot, a performance that all but guaranteed him a future stallion career.
He had shown plenty of talent before that day – he would not have been in the line-up had he not – but he was one of two pattern winners taking on a quartet of Group 1 stars, so a career-best effort would be required, possibly even just to sneak into the frame. The soft ground may not have been ideal for all of his rivals, and it is fair to say that The Grey Gatsby, Tryster and A Shin Hikari did not perform at their best on the day: they filled the last three places.
However, the outstanding Aidan O’Brien-trained filly Found, who went to the front after about a quarter of a mile in that Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, fought all the way to the line and it was only in the final yards that her Clive Cox-trained rival My Dream Boat got his head and neck in front.
There was a gap of three and a half lengths back to Western Hymn in third, with another three-quarters of a length to classic scorer The Grey Gatsby. This win came two months after he had beaten Western Hymn in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown.
My Dream Boat had won a listed race and Group 3 contest in France the previous autumn, both over a mile, whereas his subsquent outings included fourth to Almanzor in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot and to Zarak in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
A £40,000 DBS Breeze-Up Sale graduate, My Dream is the best son of the top-class miler Lord Shanakill (Speightstown), which makes him a representative of the Gone West branch of Mr Prospector’s (Raise A Native) mighty line. He is out of the six-furlong winner Betty Burke (Choisir) and his grandam, Island Lover (Turtle Island), is notable as being a half-sister to Optimistic Lass.
That daughter of Mr Prospector won the Group 2 Nassau Stakes and Group 3 Musidora Stakes and finished fourth to Circus Plume in the Oaks at Epsom, a time (1984) when fourth in a Group 1 did earn blacktype.
Optimistic Lass then added further gloss to the family’s record by coming up with Golden Opinion (Slew O’ Gold), the classic-placed Group 1 Coronation Stakes heroine who was a head runner-up to Cadeaux Genereux in the Group 1 July Cup.
Three of the handful of members of My Dream Boat’s initial crop offered for sale so far fetched five-figure sums in Fairyhouse in December: a good start.
His early crops are small – 14 two-year-olds, 17 yearlings, covered 21 mares in 2020 — but those numbers can surely be expected to increase, especially after his early runners hit the track.
MY DREAM BOAT (IRE), Bay 2012. Won six races, £712,975, from 7 furlongs to 1 mile 2 furlongs, at 3 and 4 years including, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Prix Perth, Saint-Cloud, Gr.3, bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.3, Prix du Ranelagh, Chantilly, L, also placed second in Al Rayyan Aston Park Stakes, Newbury, Gr.3, and third in bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.3.
Retired to Stud in 2018, first crop now 2 year olds.
Stands at: Starfield Stud, Ballynagall, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, N91 K8Y9, Ireland.
Contact: Micheál Orlandi
Telephone: +353 (0)83 8092299
Email: info@compasstallions.com
Web: www.compasstallions.com
Fee: €2,500