Klassical Dream 8-1 for Supreme after dramatic Grade 1 success at Leopardstown

Decisions, decisions. This was one of the trickiest ones for Ruby Walsh on Friday morning and he needed bravery to boycott a rapidly improving novice who won a Grade 1 on his previous start by ten lengths when doing an uncanny impression of Hurricane Fly in the Paddy Power Future Champions at Christmas.

If ignoring Aramon looked like a stupid decision on Friday morning, it began to look ludicrous when the Supreme Racing-owned six-year-old swept to the front halfway up the run-in. Oh Ruby, what have you done?

But Walsh was vindicated in the final 50 yards as Klassical Dream picked himself up off the canvas to win narrowly on points. A head was the official winning margin. The winning jockey’s decision-making was superb, the ride even better.

Of course, Walsh will likely have a similar decision to make on the morning of March 10, when declarations for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle are revealed.

Does he stick with Klassical Dream, now 8-1 second favourite across the board for the Cheltenham Festival curtain-raiser, or switch back to Aramon, also 8-1 with William Hill but generally between 10-1 and 14-1 for the same race? It’s blatantly obvious there is very little between the pair.

Walsh said: "There was nothing between them in their work. It was just a hunch that Klassical Dream had improved from Christmas and, if they were making Gordon’s horse [Vision D’Honneur] favourite, we were fairly happy we'd uphold the form with him.

"If he'd won only a Leopardstown maiden, I definitely would have ridden Aramon, but he had six runs over hurdles in France before that so had lots of experience and that swayed me I suppose."

Walsh added: "Klassical Dream has a super attitude and he jumps brilliantly. He definitely wants slower ground though."

Trainer Willie Mullins agreed. The slower the ground, the better Klassical Dream will be. Given that the first race of the festival will be run with 'soft' somewhere in the going description, perhaps that 8-1 isn't a bad price at all.

Mullins said: "Klassical Dream shows me a fair bit at home and we've been minding him all season. We got him out at Christmas and he did it well.

"Things didn't go completely right then and we felt he'd improve a good bit from it. I'd imagine that's why Ruby picked him.

"They are two good novices and if we get softer ground Klassical Dream will improve again from that."

Vision D'Honneur's reputation was dented for a second time by Klassical Dream; this time he trailed in over six lengths behind.

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