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Chookie Royale is bidding for back-to-back victories in the £50,000 Listed Ladbrokes Lady Wulfruna Stakes on Tapeta at Wolverhampton on Saturday.
The seven-year-old was the impressive three and a quarter length winner of the seven-furlong highlight last year and is coming in on the back of a two-length victory in a six-furlong handicap at Chelmsford City on February 26, when he conceded upwards of 10lb to his six rivals.
Chookie Royale has an excellent record at Wolverhampton, registering five victories and two places from as many starts at the track.
Trainer Keith Dalgleish, based in Carluke, South Lanarkshire, said today: "It looked like Chookie Royale had a hard race at Chelmsford, but he has come out of it well and goes to Wolverhampton very well in himself.
"He had a lot of weight at Chelmsford and was dropping back to what I would say is his minimum trip, but he did it well. It has opened up more avenues because you would not rule out going six furlongs again.
"I think if he turns up on Saturday in the same frame of mind, he will have a big chance.
"Tactically, we are out in stall nine so he is going to have to break fast as he likes to race prominently. If he can do that and get a good position early without doing too much, he should be there at the finish."
Chookie Royale (Tom Eaves) will face 11 rivals, notably Group Two winner Al Thakhira (Marco Botti/Frankie Dettori), last year's Unibet All-Weather Sprint Champion Alben Star (Richard Fahey/Tony Hamilton), and Sovereign Debt (David Nicholls/Joe Fanning), who was runner-up in the 2013 Group One Lockinge Stakes.
Baddilini (Alan Bailey/Martin Harley) and Grey Mirage (Marco Botti/Ryan Moore) reoppose after only being separated by a head in a valuable seven-furlong handicap at Lingfield Park on February 21, while Don't Be (Sir Mark Prescott/Luke Morris) also steps up in class after stringing together five successes in handicaps.
Other notables include dual Listed winner Intransigent (Andrew Balding/Jamie Spencer), Glen Moss (Martyn Meade/Fergus Sweeney) and French raider Quatorze (Francois Rohaut/Xabier Bertras), who won at Listed contest at Cagnes-sur-Mer on February 14.
The winner of the Ladbrokes Lady Wulfruna Stakes will be guaranteed a start in the £150,000 Ladbrokes Mile at Lingfield Park on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, April 3.
A seven-race card at Wolverhampton also features the £50,000 Ladbrokes Lincoln Trial (2.50pm, 10 runners) and the £25,000 Daily Enhanced "Magic Multiples" At Unibet Handicap (4.00pm, 13 runners) over just short of six furlongs.
There are also two Fast-Track Qualifiers at Dundalk, Ireland, tomorrow night, Friday, March 6. A field of seven goes in the '20,000 Carragher's XL Castleblayyney Race (7.05pm) over a mile, headed by Group Two victor Producer (Pat Smullen) who is having his first start for Dermot Weld.
Those in opposition include Polytrack specialist Captain Joy (Tracey Collins/Ronan Whelan) and six-year-old Paene Magnus (Jim Bolger/Kevin Manning), who is a two-time Listed winner at Dundalk.
Group One winner Parish Hall (Jim Bolger/Kevin Manning) tops six runners in the '20,000 www.valueccentre.ie Race (9.05pm) over an extended 10 furlongs.
Dermot Weld will unleash two new recruits in Behest (Pat Smullen), who was a 525,000 euro purchase from France in October, and Italian Group One winner Vedelago (Leigh Roche).
