Frankies Dream

The horse made its first career breakthrough at Wolverhampton in January 2025 and went on to win six times across the year, climbing from a mark of 50 to 83 — a rise of 33 points that tells you the handicapper noticed. That kind of progression is genuinely impressive. Jockey Joey Haynes, speaking after that Wolverhampton win, described the horse as "very forward going" and noted it was still learning to race. The key, he said, was getting it to switch off — once it settles and lets the pace do the work, it finishes powerfully. Fast, honestly run races over five furlongs are where it is at its most dangerous.

Newcastle is where Frankies Dream has really made its mark as a course specialist, winning 2 of its 6 races there. That 1-in-3 record at a single track is worth noting — some horses simply take to a particular place, and Newcastle seems to bring out the best in this one. On normal ground it is even more potent: 4 wins from 10 races, a 40% win rate, which is outstanding for any horse at any level.

Candlish has spoken of ambitions to step the horse up in trip this year, targeting mile races over the summer. The plan is bold — moving from five furlongs to a mile is a significant jump — but she believes the horse has the ability and the holiday has done it good. The challenge, as she acknowledged, is the mental side: it is not the easiest ride, and getting it to settle over a longer trip will be the test. Paul Mulrennan, who has partnered it to 2 wins from their 8 races together (25%), knows the horse well.

It has not won in its last 6 races, most recently finishing third at York in May 2025, and the latest run — just yesterday — produced a seventh-place finish. A change of trip and a fresh season could be exactly what it needs.