25 August 2023 , 16:04
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Little known trainer Adam West created his own reason to be famous when he pulled off a stunning victory in the £500,000 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday.
Until Live In The Dream blitzed the cream of Europe’s 5f sprinters at odds of 28-1, the 34-year-old West was continually recognised for being the namesake of the actor Adam West, who played Batman in the cult Sixties TV series.
A trainer for seven seasons from a base in unfashionable Epsom, Surrey, West had never saddled a Group winner before, let alone one at the highest level.
Yet Live In The Dream, under rookie jockey Sean Kirrane, led from the start to finish to see off last year’s winner and favourite Highfield Princess with Royal Ascot winner Bradsell in third.
Owned by colourful owners Steve and Jolene De’Lemos, he was the first Group 1 winner to come out Epsom since Harbour Law landed the 2016 St Leger.
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West, struggling to take in what he had pulled off, said: “I never thought it was possible to win. We were laughing about there being six places and how his odds were so skinny. We should have backed him to win! I’ve had a Group One winner, it’s amazing.
“We treat everyone as an individual and if he shows the ability we will stick him in the races.
"It’s a really tough game at the moment. Then you get something like this and it changes everything.
“I have always joked we have the fastest in south England and now we’ve proved it.”
By winning the Nunthorpe, Live In The Dream earned a guaranteed start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in November, for which travel expenses are paid. It’s a trip connections are keen to take up.
"I think we’ll go to the Breeders’ Cup as I think he’s 10lb better on a turning track," he said. "That’s a big statement, but I do. He can get a breather round a bend whereas on these straight courses he usually can’t, but he just nicked enough today.
“We were going to take him for a race at Del Mar but we costed it, we’re not a big yard and it was too expensive to go.
“It’s an amazing opportunity, something we never thought we might get. Trying to make ends to meet to get him over there and get him back. Now it’s all taken care of. This is a roller coaster.”