3 minute read
The final Fast-Track Qualifier of the 2015/16 All-Weather Championships takes place this weekend at Wolverhampton on Saturday, March 12.
Run over seven furlongs and 32 yards on Tapeta, the £50,000 Ladbrokes Lady Wulfruna Stakes (2.50pm) is the last of four Fast-Track Qualifiers for the £150,000 Ladbrokes Mile on Polytrack at Lingfield Park on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, March 25. Saturday's winner gains a free and automatic place in the Ladbrokes Mile.
The 11 entries feature the last two winners in 2015 scorer Sovereign Debt (Dandy Nicholls) and Chookie Royale (Keith Dalgleish), successful in 2014.
Sovereign Debt subsequently landed Group Three spoils at Tipperary, Ireland, in October, while Chookie Royale has already posted three victories on the All-Weather this winter.
Kelinni (Kevin Ryan) is set to have his first start since finishing seventh in the Grade One Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland, USA, on October 3.
The eight-year-old, who was fourth in the 2012 Melbourne Cup over two miles during his time with Chris Waller, was a revelation last year on turf. He scored over 12 furlongs at Thirsk in April before finishing the neck runner-up in John Smith's Cup (10.5 furlongs) at York in July and making all in a valuable seven-furlong handicap at Leopardstown, Ireland, in September.
Adam Ryan, son and assistant to his Yorkshire-based father, said: "Kelinni has had a good break and seems in great order.
"He is going to have to step up to Pattern company this year. We haven't got much choice because he is rated 111 now but he seems to be getting better with age.
"We didn't expect him to do what he did last year because he was bought as a stayer. It was a shock all round but he has always been a class horse and the change of environment seemed to get a bit more improvement out of him.
"If he can continue that this year, you would hope he will be competitive in some nice races."
Realize has been in excellent form since joining Newmarket handler Stuart Williams. The six-year-old has succeeded on three of his last four outings, including in two valuable seven-furlong handicaps at Lingfield Park on January 22 and February 6 respectively.
Williams said: "Realize has been training well and the plan is to run on Saturday before deciding whether we go to Lingfield on Good Friday.
"He is entered in two races at Wolverhampton and, at this stage, we are leaning towards the Wulfruna.
"We hoped he would improve. It doesn't always go that way but we have improved quite a few horses when we have bought them.
"The plan was to aim him for the All-Weather, hence why we didn't run him on the turf during the summer.
"It is hard to know if there is any more improvement there. He hasn't been winning by very far but at the same time not many horses can win competitive handicaps from that high in the weights.
"You would hope in a conditions race, where they are all carrying the same weight, that there might be more improvement."
Williams has a terrific record this All-Weather season, sending out 26 winners so far from Diomed Stables in Newmarket and is in with a chance of becoming Champion All-Weather Trainer which has a £10,000 prize.