DUBAI dreams came true for West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon when Opal Tiara landed the valuable Group 2 Balanchine Stakes at Meydan.

The four-year-old filly swept through to take the £97,560 first prize in the Citizen K-sponsored mile-and-a-furlong contest by a neck from Via Firenze under Oisin Murphy.

Now Channon is eyeing a crack at the Group 1 Dubai Turf over the same course and distance on Saturday, March 25.

He said of the 15-2 winner: “That was great and she’s such a smashing filly to train.

“We’ve won our Group 2 now, so I see no reason why we shouldn’t try her at the top level with the Turf race on World Cup night being the obvious target.”

Channon gave much of the credit for Opal Tiara’s success to travelling head lass Lesley White, who oversees the training of the horses in Dubai.

“While it’s ultra-competitive and very hard to win out here, she’s a great asset to the whole job and much of this is down to her,” he said.

“Having a filly like Opal does make the job a little easier though.”

Over the jumps, Flintham, from Mark Bradstock’s Letcombe Bassett stables, came within a whisker of emulating his brother, Carruthers, when beaten a short head in the Sodexo Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot.

The eight-year-old put up a gallant front-running display before being collared by Bigbadjohn in the final stride of the Grade 2 three-mile contest, which was won by Carruthers eight years ago.

Bradstock said: “He is amazing. He is not very big, but he jumps for fun. Nico (De Boinville) gave him a fabulous ride.”

Now Flintham could go for either the JT McNamara National Hunt Chase or the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Meanwhile, Bradstock’s wife, Sara, revealed that Flintham’s half-brother, Coneygree, the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, was ahead of schedule for his planned return to action at the Punchestown Festival in two months’ time.

She reported that the ten-year-old had passed his latest X-ray on his leg injury with flying colours, and if another scan in two weeks’ time proves positive, they plan to start cantering their stable star again.