Ladbrokes Where The Nation Plays Conditions Stakes (Plus 10)

Off time: 15:41 | Winning time: 1m 11.78s

(4)

Amarillo Star³⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: S Donohoe| T: C Fellowes| OR: 87| BF| D

9/1

Short odds Kempton novice winner (6f); narrowly failed to earn his Good Friday place when caught close home by Kondratiev Wave at Kempton (6f) four weeks ago; gets another bite at the cherry in a much deeper small-field affair.

Form: 42521-2

(2)

Desert Safari¹²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: J Fanning| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 94| BF| D

6/1

Prominent racer; placed in Redcar's Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy; lost his unbeaten AW record when trounced by the former Richard Hannon inmate Temple Of Heaven over C&D in October (in the first Fast-Track Qualifier for this division).

Form: 1132-

(1)

Lord Of The Lodge¹⁸⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: B A Curtis| T: K R Burke| OR: 109| D

11/10

Talented and pacy juvenile; bolted up in a 6f novice at Haydock (gd/fm) before finishing second best to the subsequent Champagne Stakes winner Threat in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York (6f); off since (180 days); sets the benchmark on AW debut.

Form: 10612-

(3)

Oh Purple Reign¹⁴⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Andrea Atzeni| T: R Hannon| OR: 100| D

11/4

Kept busy as a juvenile (3-8), developing into a Listed/Grp 3 performer; after landing the odds in a 6f conditions event at Chester (6f, gd/sft) in August, he went onto finish a close second to Streamline in the Grp 3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton.

Form: 141326-

(5)

Romero²³⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: T Eaves| T: K A Ryan

7/1

Impressive when making a winning debut at Doncaster (5f, gd/fm) last May; the suspicion is that he failed to give his true running when trailing home last of five to the unbeaten Siskin in the Grp 2 Railway Stakes at The Curragh (6f, good); gelded.

Form: 15-

Forecasts

Lord Of The Lodge (11/10), Oh Purple Reign (11/4), Desert Safari (6/1), Romero (7/1), Amarillo Star (9/1)

Oh Purple Reign was kept busiest of this quintet as a juvenile, showing his best form on an artificial surface when finishing second to Streamline in the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton (6f). Furthermore, his trainer Richard Hannon should understand where he is likely to lie in comparison to Desert Safari (beaten by a former stablemate (Temple Of Heaven) in an earlier C&D Fast-Track Qualifier). Romero is lightly raced for Kevin Ryan and merits respect on his return from a gelding operation. However, he'll need to raise his game in order to trouble fellow AW debutant LORD OF THE LODGE who rounded off his juvenile season with a fine effort in the Gimcrack Stakes.