Mark Johnston's lofty opinion of Land Of Dreams' talents was at last vindicated as the filly gained a comfortable victory in the five-furlong Group Three King George Grosvenor Casinos Stakes at Goodwood yesterday.
Sent on over a furlong from the finish of the £47,500 contest by Darryll Holland, the bay wandered around in front without company but at the line had three-quarters of a length to spare over Irish challenger Lady Alexander.
"I have been shouting about her for long enough and not proving it," said Johnston of the 5 to 1 winner. "It's always a worry that it won't happen.
"She won over six furlongs last time and we thought for a time that she wanted six but as soon as she came back to five she was a different horse altogether.
"We thought she was special last year and I was absolutely convinced this year. We have had plenty of horses to try her with and I thought she was the fastest I have ever had, and everything has gone wrong.
"In the Palace House she fell out of the stalls and in the King's Stand she had no sort of run whatsoever. I was beginning to despair."
Next time, Land of Dreams' sights will be set in Group One company, starting with the Nunthorpe Stakes at York on August 20th. "There's the Nunthorpe, there's the Prix de l'Abbaye, and I suppose there's the Breeders' Cup," added Johnston. "She is a five-furlong horse, out and out, and I did feel there was a niche in the market."
Bookmakers were made to suffer as the victory of Supply And Demand removed several hundred thousand pounds from their coffers. His price was slashed to 3 to 1 favourite - after being available at 7 to 1 in the morning - as the big hitters came out for the Chesterfield Cup.
A sum totalling around £70,000 in major bets was wagered on course alone on the gelding, whose owners include leading television crime writer Lynda La Plante, best known for the hit series Prime Suspect and Widows.
Two lucky punters certainly read the script correctly, each collecting £20,000 after striking bets of £5,000 and £6,000 respectively,
It was the irresistible combination of champion jockey Kieren Fallon, and the fitting of blinkers that prompted punters to unleash their wads of money.
The gamble was landed in style as Supply And Demand strode clear from the furlong pole to defeat Yavana's Pace by one and a half lengths.
The layers were saved another hefty payout at the beginning of the meeting as Hitman failed to hit the target in the Peugeot Gordon Stakes.
The 6 to 4 favourite was a one-paced third one and three-quarter lengths behind the dead-heaters Nedawi and Rabah in the Group Three contest.
Rabah's jockey Richard Hills clinched a double as Elhida, beaten by the subsequent Princess Margaret Stakes winner Mythical Girl on her debut, easily justified odds of 8 to 11 in the Grosvenor Casino Hove Maiden.
The filly, completing a double for Sheikh Hamdan, is now a possible for the Lowther Stakes at York next month.
