Saturday’s card at Wolverhampton, which includes two Fast-Track Qualifiers for the All-Weather Championships, has attracted some classy entrants, including the dual Group 1 winner Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
The four-year-old looks set to start his 2023 campaign in the Listed Spreadex Sports Lady Wulfruna S., in which he could face the G2 Coventry S winner of 2021, Berkshire Shadow (Ire), who is also by Dark Angel.
“Angel Bleu has been in training all winter and the intention is to start him off at Wolverhampton on Saturday,” said trainer Ralph Beckett. “This is not a prep for the All-Weather Championships finals but it is a prep for the rest of the year.”
The Andrew Balding-trained Berkshire Shadow was fifth in last season’s G1 2000 Guineas, just one place ahead of Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who is also entered for Saturday’s race and was last seen running sixth in the G3 1351 Turf Sprint on the Saudi Cup card in Riyadh. HIs trainer Richard Hannon has won two of the last three editions of the Lady Wulfruna S, including in 2021 with Mums Tipple (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), who is another of the 14 entries.
Hannon said, “I have given Lusail an entry and we will decide whether he runs once I have discussed it with [his owner] Al Shaqab Racing. He has come back from Saudi as good as gold. I thought he ran well out there but it showed he needs a bit further than that. He will go on the surface at Wolverhampton no problem and could well take his chance.
Last year’s Lady Wulfruna winner Tinker Toy (GB) (War Front) is entered to defend his title for Roger Varian and owner/breeder Craig Bennett, while another notable potential runner is the Charlie Appleby-trained Noble Dynasty (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is rated 106 and has won three of his last four starts.
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