Kings Will Dream from potential to Caulfield Cup favourite

Managing owner Brad Spicer welcomed a dose of reality with Kings Will Dream this spring but he expects the dream result with the Caulfield Cup favourite on Saturday.

Kings Will Dream was sourced from Europe by Spicer as a country cups horse with potential.

Living the dream: Kings Will Dream  has had a perfect preparation for the Caulfield Cup.

Living the dream: Kings Will Dream has had a perfect preparation for the Caulfield Cup.Credit:Morgan Hancock

He went from potential to a hype horse after just three months of racing in Australia, as he won his first five races in his new home, including the Mornington Cup.

“It is hard to keep the expectations down when you win five in a row and you’re in the Caulfield Cup after winning the Mornington Cup by five lengths,” Spicer said. “Some of the owners thought they had a superstar, so the spring has been good to keep their feet on the ground.

“Experiencing a few defeats, even though they were good defeats, has calm us all down a bit but you get anxious this week because we have been waiting for Saturday for six months.”

Weir targeted the Mornington Cup at the end of March when it became apparent Kings Will Dream was a classy stayer. It offered a ticket into the Caulfield Cup.

His fifth run of the preparation resulted in his best win and has allowed Weir to prepare Kings Will Dream with only Saturday in mind this spring.

Kings Will Dream went down the traditional weight-for-age route, which meant he could not get a penalty to add to his 53kg Cup weight. He was fourth in the Lawrence, then third at group 1 level in the Memsie Stakes and runner-up to Grunt in the Makybe Diva Stakes.

“His runs in the spring were probably better than his wins but not winning helped me play it down a bit,” Spicer said. “He is doing things I didn’t think he could or would. When I bought him I thought we might get to a Caulfield Cup next year with he progress well.

“But he he is three-time group 1-placed and drops six kilos into the Caulfield Cup, so he is really well in. You can start to think we are chance of pulling this off.”

Kings Will Dream was third behind Winx in the Turnbull Stakes and after Spicer picked out barrier six in the Caulfield Cup draw, he went to the top of betting at as a $5 favourite.

“That was relief because everything, as I said before, has gone perfectly and I could have stuffed it up with a bad barrier,” Spicer said. “He has just gone from strength to strength since having his first run at Warrnambool in January.

“Obviously Australia agrees with him – Warrnambool and the beach.

“There is something in the water down there.”

Spicer said the nerves were starting to kick in for him after the barrier draw because this had been a long-held dream to have a real contender in one of the big cups.

“It is why we have been going to Europe, to find a horse to be in this position,” he said. “Things have gone so smoothly and he has kept stepping up. That is why he is favourite.

“He has the good barrier and a good jockey in Craig Williams, so we just have hope for the right run now and good luck.

“We are sure he will stay the trip and he will be there at the end, hopefully living up to our dreams of winning.”

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