Jockey Sean Kirrane is looking forward to his ride on Live In The Dream in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, which will cap off a fairytale season for the twenty-three-year-old.
Kirrane achieved his first Group 1 success aboard Adam West's star sprint Live In The Dream in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes and connections have continued to dream big with their gelding. A four-time winner on turf, Live In The Dream has continued to improve as a four-year-old and Kirrane is thankful he has retained the ride all the way to the top-level.
"They would have had plenty of phone calls to ride this horse, even on the smaller days when he ran in the Temple Stakes and the race after that and the Nunthorpe. This particular dayI'm sure they will have had plenty of phone calls, but their loyalty to me has been outstanding and I can't thank them enough," said Kirrane.
"Adam, Steve and Jolene have stuck by me and they have had me for plenty of days in the sun before the Nunthorpe and for them to give me my first ride in a Group One was amazing. I was so glad to reward them on the day for putting their faith in me."
"He's achieved things this year that none of us thought we might ever achieve.
"We thought he had a lot of potential for maybe next year, but the fact he has achieved so much this year has been excellent and we owe the horse a lot.
"I don't know how far I'll get in my career but he's a horse I will never forget. He's given me a massive boost by winning the Nunthorpe so soon after losing my claim and it's something a jockey in my position sort of never dreams.
"I have this horse and I knew he was capable of a lot, but it was so special to get a big winner on the board and then to have the opportunity to come here. I suppose we've already won this year regardless of what happens on Saturday, but to just be here with the horse while he is in such great form is excellent."
Live In The Dream was given a prep race in the five-and-a-half furlong Grade 2 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland, where he faded slightly in the closing stages to finish fourth.
"Keeneland was a nice race to start off his campaign in the States in," added Kirrane.
"Adam picked that race out and being five and a half furlongs, ultimately that did stretch him really. There was quite a strong headwind on the day and he was really pressed for the lead the whole way round which wasn't ideal and doing quite a bit early on just caught him out late in the day in the last half-furlong.
"He showed us everything we wanted to see on that day and it was really important to get him here and find a race on the grass for him really, which is exactly what Adam did. It really sets us up nicely for Saturday.
"Adam is a spectacular judge of what he has and what hand he has to play. It was the same when we went to Deauville, he knew he might need the run and that was exactly what happened – he was a fading fourth that day on very soft ground.
"He came out the next day and won the Nunthorpe and Adam was absolutely spot on in getting him right. He was spot on in predicting how he would run at Keeneland and hopefully he will be spot on about how he will run at Santa Anita."
