Wesley Ward set to run juvenile in Brocklesby at Doncaster
Tuesday 22 March 2016 15:26, UK
Wesley Ward will make a surprise early-season raid on Britain after confirming unraced filly Create A Dream an intended runner in the Betway Brocklesby Conditions Stakes at Doncaster.
The American trainer is no stranger to British racegoers having enjoyed multiple successes at Royal Ascot in recent years with the likes of No Nay Never, Hootenanny, Acapulco and Undrafted.
Ward said last autumn he hoped to saddle more runners in Britain in 2016 and has set out his stall early, with a five-strong team of juveniles booked for a trans-Atlantic flight later this week.
"The problem we have here is we don't have a lot of opportunities to run the two-year-olds with grass pedigrees in the early part of the year, because they've taken the Polytrack surface away at Keeneland," said the trainer.
"The Polytrack used to be a good leveller for the turf horses running against the dirt horses, but now we don't have that, it's pretty tough."
The ebullient handler rates Create A Dream particularly highly ahead of her intended appearance in the first juvenile race of the new turf season on Town Moor a week on Saturday and hopes Frankie Dettori will be available to take the ride.
"She's a beautiful Oasis Dream filly out of Anabaa's Creation. With a filly of this quality, we didn't want to run her against the speed-orientated horses on the dirt," he said.
"She came to the top on the grass at Palm Meadows in Florida, so we decided we'd bring her over to England along with a few others.
"They'll head out Sunday and will be based at Manton with my assistant, Blake Heap. Sam Sangster was good enough to let us stay and we're grateful to Paul Shanahan for organising it for us.
"The plan is for the horses to stay at Manton and we'll see if they are worthy of making it to Royal Ascot.
"We're really excited about it and we're expecting big things from Create A Dream, bigger things than the Brocklesby, even though it is a historical race."
Asked whether he would be making the trip to Doncaster himself, Ward added: "I'd love to. I'm busy getting things sorted here at Keeneland, but if I can sneak away for a few days I will."
