Land Of Dreams can sprint to fame in the battle of the speedsters for the Persimmon Homes Nunthorpe Stakes on the final day of York's Ebor meeting today.
The three-year-old filly, trained at Middleham in North Yorkshire by Mark Johnston, returned to her breathtaking best to take the King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last month.
The acceleration she showed to burst into the lead over that lightning-fast five furlongs was quite extraordinary. A repeat of that performance would surely leave all her rivals in her wake.
It is fair to say that Land Of Dreams had been disappointing until that Group Three contest although her trainer never once lost faith in her ability to thrill.
She also came good at this time last year, with her best run coming in the Group Two Flying Childers Stakes at the Doncaster St Leger meeting 11 months ago when she powered home by two-and-a-half lengths from Tippitt Boy.
Elnadim is a worthy favourite after his brilliant victory in the July Cup at Newmarket, but he missed a piece of work last week due to a minor setback and he has yet to win over five furlongs.
The Jack Berry-trained Bolshoi has been beaten twice since landing the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and he does have sound each-way claims. However, Land Of Dreams looks best. Kadaka can give Newmarket trainer Luca Cumani his eighth victory in the Galtres Stakes in the last nine years. The lightly-raced daughter of Sadler's Wells won her maiden at Yarmouth before finding only Wednesday's Group One Yorkshire Oaks winner Catchascatchcan too good in a Listed race at Newmarket. She dead-heated for second with Tuning, who won the Tote-Ebor yesterday.
Pension Fund, runner-up in the opening Ladbroke Knavesmire Handicap last season, can go one better to continue the unlikely, though successful, partnership of Sheriff Hutton trainer Mick Easterby and Michael Kinane.
Bint Allayl can defeat a quality field of fillies in the Group Two Lowther Stakes.
The Mick Channon-trained flying machine has impressed with super victories in Sandown's National Stakes and the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot since suffering a shock defeat at the hands of Pipalong on her debut at York in May.
Although she has raced exclusively over the minimum trip, today's extra furlong looks well within her compass.
