Rainbow Dreamer rolls back the years to win the A/W Marathon

April 7

Being something of a ‘golden oldie’ myself, I never worry about the fact that the years roll by at a rapid rate of knots when you reach ‘a certain age’.

You are as old as you feel in any walk of life, so, while stable stalwart Rainbow Dreamer, at 10-year-of age, was written off by many professionals as too old to win the All-Weather Marathon at Newcastle today, Alan gave everybody sufficient encouragement for me to warn punters on the website to “ignore him at your peril”.

And Rainbow Dreamer did not let us down. The 10-1 chance, given a patient ride by Hollie Doyle, not only came from behind off a blistering pace, but set a new course record in the process.

This was Rainbow Dreamer’s third attempt at this race – fourth in 2021 and fifth last year – but Alan felt that this year’s renewal was not as strong a contest as before, and, striking the front inside the last two furlongs, the old boy stuck on in determined fashion to hold off Fleurman by a length.

Nine of Rainbow Dreamer’s 13 wins have been gained on the all-weather, and he has been an absolute star for the Maple Street Partnership, winning his first race at the second of his 47 races at Nottingham in the autumn of 2015.

Clearly Hollie Doyle, who has been aboard for six of those wins, loves Rainbow Dreamer as much as the owners do, and, beaming from ear to ear afterwards, she said:”I got a bit of a buzz out of that. He is a legend of a horse and I’ve been riding him since I was an apprentice.

“Unfortunately, I missed Rainbow Dreamer this winter because I was away in Japan and also out with injury to my elbow, so it was really good of Alan and the owners to put me back on him today.

“I was on the sidelines for a long time, so to have horses like this waiting for me when I come back is really special, and I’m in a privileged position.

“I know there was loads of pace on, and for a stayer he is a horse who can travel a bit, so I was never too worried. I got there too soon in the end, but he deserved to win a big one, and I’m so pleased for everyone that he has done it.”