Colin Keane, Noel Meade and Helvic Dream© Photo Healy Racing
Noel Meade had a welcome winner at Roscommon on Monday evening and afterwards revealed that Group One winner Helvic Dream could feature in the Irish Champion Stakes, if the heavens open, on his way to engagements in France and Britain.
The four-year-old gelding was last seen edging out Broome by a short head under Colin Keane in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on soft to heavy ground in May.
“We are waiting on soft ground but he wouldn’t be ready until the middle of September. He’s entered in the Irish Champion Stakes (at Leopardstown on September 11th) but to be honest I don’t really think that’s realistic with the ground and the likely quality of the field," Meade said.
“However, if the ground did come up soft he could run in it because the plan is to go for the Prix Dollar at Longchamp on Arc weekend and then, if it came up soft, we might have a crack at the English Champion Stakes.
“He’s in great form and hopefully that winner (Too Bright at Roscommon) is a turn in the corner.
“We’ve been pulling our hair out for the last five or six weeks but hopefully they are coming back to themselves now.”
Helvic Dream gave Meade his first Group One on the Flat. He is a four-time winner including at Group 3 level in the Curragh last October.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
