Safari Dream

His overall record — 6 wins and 21 places from 46 races, which works out at roughly 1 win in every 8 — tells the story of a horse who is more often than not involved in the finish without quite getting his nose in front. But there is useful context here. Millman has spoken openly about how Safari Dream started life as a good young horse, climbed too high in the ratings as a result, and then spent a difficult year struggling against stronger competition. Once the weights came back down to a fairer level, he flourished, winning three times last season alone. It is a classic pattern — a horse who is at his best when the conditions suit him, and who can look ordinary when pitched too high.

One thing that clearly suits him is fast, dry ground. On that surface he has won 3 of 10 races — a 30% win rate, or roughly 1 in every 3, which is a striking contrast to his overall figures. If you want to back Safari Dream, you wait for a dry spell and a trip to Salisbury.

His jockey Ross Coakley has ridden him in 9 of his 46 races, winning once together — not a dazzling partnership on paper, but Millman describes Safari Dream as a sensitive horse, quite different in temperament from his tougher sibling Amazonian Dream. He needs things to go right rather than being forced into a performance. His recent form — finishing third and fourth in his last two outings before that May win — had the trainer convinced he was close to winning again, and he was right. With the horse still racing as recently as yesterday, the story is very much ongoing.