Royal Runner Lightning Polka Out To Strike At Ayr
Following an excellent debut at Haydock just a fortnight back, Lightning Polka will want to bring the royal colours to Group Three success in the Ladbrokes-sponsored Firth Of Clyde at Ayr on Saturday.
The daughter of Night Of Thunder is one of the very first horses sent to fitness instructor Ed Walker by the King and Queen and made a perfect start to her profession on Merseyside.
Her handler is well mindful she has much more on her plate in Scotland this weekend, however is hoping she can show approximately the job.
Speaking at Newbury on Friday, Walker said: "It's a big day and she was truly excellent at Haydock on her launching.
"I think she'll be OK on the ground, even though Tom (Marquand) stated it was a bit dead and tacky when he rode there on Thursday.
"I believe she'll improve once again from this run and we've not done a lot considering that Haydock as this comes fast enough. I would have liked it to have been three weeks since her launching instead of 2, however she's a good filly and she was really uncomplicated and expert very first time.
Trainer Ed Walker is prepared for a big afternoon at Ayr (John Walton/PA)
"It's a dream to train for the King and Queen and she was actually our very first two-year-old to have a setback, which I couldn't think.
"I was so ecstatic to train 2 horses for the King and Queen and I have a really nice filly who is a bit backward and after that Lightning Polka, who is more of a two-year-old type. She went and chose up a niggle early, but luckily she got over that quickly and she's exciting."
Among the biggest hazards to Lightning Polka seems double winner Coming Attraction, who won a hot conditions race at Chester last time and represents the thriving Roger Varian string.
Also in the mix is Richard Fahey's Catching The Moon, who needed to choose 2nd behind Albany Stakes runner-up Awaken on her Leicester launching before easily dispatching a subsequent winner at Beverley at the 2nd time of asking.
Fahey thinks the No Nay Never filly may not understand her full capacity till next season, but is eager to evaluate the waters at a higher level before the end of her .
"We do like her but I'm not sure how she will deal with the ground if it's on the sluggish side," he stated.
"We enjoy to run her and see what occurs. I believe her very first run was rather great and we feel we would probably beat the winner if we satisfied once again and after that the race at Beverley which she won will have done her the world of good, so we've been pleased with her.
"She's a filly for next year actually and I didn't desire to run her too many times, but I required to run her once again so I believed I may also run her in a good race and see how she gets on."
An overall of 15 two-year-old fillies go to publish on the west coast of Scotland, with other noteworthy names including Simon and Ed Crisford's Lowther fourth Dandana, Ed Bethell's simple Catterick winner Rogue Attraction and George Boughey's unbeaten three-time winner India Love.
There is likewise competitive action, albeit with less runners, in the Listed Ladbrokes "Big Football Bet Builder Boosts" Doonside Cup, where Andrew Balding's Feilden Stakes winner Almeric makes his first look given that impressing at Newmarket in April.
He is the most likely favourite in a field of six for a 10-furlong contest in which William Haggas is represented by Caviar Heights, with the Somerville Lodge handler hoping conditions stay appropriate for a four-year-old who has actually suffered succeeding narrow beats at Listed level in the Gala Stakes and August Stakes.
"He's been a bit unfortunate but he desires soft ground and hopefully it will still have some cut in it on Saturday as the softer it is, the much better he will be," said Haggas.
"He's a really nice horse and when he gets soft ground you'll see an even better horse."