'He goes there as favourite and rightly so' - Sean Kirrane hoping Live In The Dream gets a fast start in Coral Charge

Coral Charge favourite Live In The Dream has been beaten on both starts in 2024, but big-race partner Sean Kirrane expects the Adam West-trained five-year-old to make his customary fast start and prove difficult to catch in Saturday's Group 3 at Sandown.

Last season's Nunthorpe winner blew the start last time at Haydock when well beaten in the Listed Achilles Stakes – for which he was the 5-4 favourite – and Kirrane is convinced hitting the gates can help them overcome a less than ideal draw in stall nine.

He said: "Last time conditions didn't suit and we weren't drawn well. He face-planted coming out of the gate and I never felt like he was in rhythm. He has one style of running where he jumps quickly and can take a length out of them at the start, but he stumbled and couldn't get away quick enough.

"Nothing went right, but he goes better fresh and has had a bit more time now so should go well."

Can Live In The Dream bounce back?Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Live In The Dream, who finished last season with a fourth at the Breeders' Cup, steps back into Group company this time, and Kirrane added: "It's a step back up in class and his rivals are no slouches. We've beaten Twilight Calls on a couple of occasions, but he's very useful. We have to bring our A-game on Saturday, but he goes there as favourite and rightly so. We'd like to see him back to where he was at the start of the season."

That first outing of the season saw Live In The Dream finish a half-length second to Kerdos in the Group 2 Temple Stakes, and Kirrane said: "I thought his return run was really good, it wasn't something we were expecting as a team. We thought he'd go there needing the run, but he nearly won."

Live In The Dream has run twice over Sandown's sprint track, finishing first and second, and Kirrane added: "I was down at Adam's on Tuesday and he felt good. He loves Sandown – I won a handicap on him as a three-year-old there, and he also nearly won the Scurry that same season, so he has course form.

"We're just hoping for ideal conditions, we wouldn't like to see a headwind, while quick ground would be ideal. We're not drawn the best, we'll concede that, but hopefully it doesn't harm our chances."

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