Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes |
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| Group 1, Newbury £350,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m, Class 1 |
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Fallen Angel will be back over a mile as Karl Burke maps out her four-year-old campaign, with this set to be her starting point.
A Group One winner as a juvenile, the daughter of Too Darn Hot was sent off favourite for last year’s 1000 Guineas but had to settle for fifth. That setback was swiftly forgotten when she stormed to victory in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh, stamping her class on the division.
Fallen Angel returns to winning ways in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas with Danny Tudhope onboard!
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) May 26, 2024
A superb run for one of @karl_burke's most promising stable superstars! 👏 pic.twitter.com/B5teLEKtC7
Injury denied her a full summer campaign, but she made up for lost time in the autumn, running with credit in both the Matron Stakes and when stretching out in trip for the Prix de l’Opera. Those performances were enough to catch the eye of Wathnan Racing, who acquired her before those two efforts.
Now retained in training at four, Fallen Angel will return to her optimum trip for her seasonal reappearance on May 17 at Newbury. From there, the road leads to Royal Ascot, with Burke keeping his options open regarding her next move.
“She’s in great order, and I couldn’t be happier with her,” he said. “The Lockinge is the plan, then Royal Ascot, and she’s in fantastic shape.”
While a step up in trip remains a possibility, Burke sees no rush to test stamina further just yet.
“For now, we’ll keep her at a mile. I do think she’ll stay a mile and a quarter in time, but a strongly-run mile on a galloping track really suits her. The Queen Anne at Ascot is an obvious target, but depending on how the Lockinge plays out, the Duke of Cambridge Stakes is another option, and she’ll have entries for both.”
With a Group One win already on her record and more to come, Fallen Angel’s campaign promises to be one to follow.
Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes 2024
(British Champions Series) (Group 1)
£350,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m, Class 1
10 ran
Going: Good
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (5) Audience 5 9-2 John & Thady Gosden Robert Havlin 22/1
2 (6) 1¾ Charyn 4 9-2 Roger Varian Silvestre De Sousa 4/1
3 (7) 6½ Witch Hunter 5 9-2 Richard Hannon Sean Levey 22/1
4 (1) 4½ Inspiral 5 8-13 John & Thady Gosden Kieran Shoemark 2/1F
5 (4) ¾ Hi Royal 4 9-2 Kevin Ryan Ryan Moore 22/1
6 (9) 1½ Big Rock 4 9-2 Maurizio Guarnieri Aurelien Lemaitre 11/4
7 (10) ½ Poker Face 5 9-2 Simon & Ed Crisford James Doyle 9/1
8 (2) 2 Dear My Friend 4 9-2 Charlie Johnston Joe Fanning 40/1
9 (11) 7 Royal Scotsman 4 9-2 Paul & Oliver Cole Jamie Spencer 16/1
10 (8) 11 Flight Plan 4 9-2 K R Burke Daniel Tudhope 33/1
NR 8 (3) Real World 7 9-2 Saeed bin Suroor NON RUNNER
