Paint The Dream strikes Gold at Newbury

Paint The Dream led his rivals a merry dance up the Newbury straight as he breezed to a wide-margin victory in the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup.

The Grade Three affair was turned into a procession by the Fergal O’Brien-trained winner as he hit the target for the first time since October in the hands of Connor Brace.

Paint The Dream was settled in the pack as Kalooki set the early gallop, gaining an early lead that was reeled in as the runners headed out for the second circuit in the two-and-a-half-mile highlight.

Brace had Paint The Dream in a lovely rhythm throughout and when he gave the signal, the gelding seemingly found an extra gear, leaving Tamaroc Du Mathan and Senior Citizen well behind.

His rider looked round after jumping the third-last and the penultimate fence, with Paint The Dream holding a healthy advantage coming to the final obstacle.

He cleared that in style and Brace just kept him up to his work to come home 15 lengths clear of 9-2 joint favourite Tamaroc Du Mathan, with Senior Citizen a further five lengths back in third.

Farinet, the other market leader, was pulled up.

Paint The Dream is owned and bred by Brace’s father David, who revealed it had been a good racing day for the rider’s brother too.

He said: “I thought he would win last time and we were perplexed as nothing was wrong with him.

“Connor was very confident.

“We just got here from a point-to-point where his brother Jude rode a pony race winner. It was touch and go, but we made it.”