Coolangatta bids to become the latest Australian sprint sensation to use the Lightning Stakes (G1) as a springboard to success in the June 20 King's Stand Stakes (G1) after last year's race runner-up Nature Strip parlayed the prep into a victory at Royal Ascot.
Joint-trainer Ciaron Maher has been pleased with what he's seen of the speedball daughter of Written Tycoon at Charlie Hills's Lambourn base and June 19 he gave an interesting variation on many trainers' thoughts about ground conditions in the wake of Ascot missing the forecast thunderstorms over the weekend.
"We had a look at the track this morning and there's a fair bit of give in it," said Maher. "I think she's better on top of the ground, but it looks in good order. The horse is in good order too. She hasn't missed a beat since arriving and I'm very happy with her.
"The American horse (Twilight Gleaming) is drawn near us, and she'll have a lot of speed, so that's not too bad. James (McDonald) knows her well, which is a big plus also. Coolangatta normally races pretty forward, and we'll look to do that again. There's been some very good horses come over here and she's on that trajectory, so hopefully she can deliver."
Twilight Gleaming, from the barn of American trainer Wesley Ward, was runner-up in the Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot as a 2-year-old. After skipping the meet last year, she returns off a stakes record-setting victory in the April 15 Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland.
"She had a beautiful workout after her win at Keeneland and it's all systems go. She's very fast but also very adaptable and she can sit off—he's been coming from off the pace against her workmate," Ward said. "The King's Stand is probably the toughest sprint in the world at five furlongs but we're there and we've got Irad (Ortiz, Jr.) up. He learned a lot from last year's disappointment and he won't be making the same mistake. That's why he's the top rider in the States right now and why he's on top of this filly."
'It's Going to be Tough but We're Looking Forward to it'
It is a measure of how much she progressed last season that, in a field containing so much talent from two of racing's sprinting powerhouse nations, Highfield Princess is still clear at the top on ratings.
And trainer John Quinn has been pleased with what he's seen since the three-time group 1 winner chased home Azure Blue on her seasonal debut over six furlongs in the Duke of York Clipper Stakes (G2).
"We've been happy with her since York, she'll strip fitter tomorrow and we're happy the way she's trained," said Quinn. "It's wonderful to have her and you hope that, when you get a good one, another group 1 can come along. It's great for any yard and we were delighted when John Fairley decided to keep her in training this year. It was vindicated when she ran so well at York. Let's hope she'll run well, I'm sure she will."
Quinn summed up the appeal of this King's Stand neatly, adding: "There are 19 sprinters from all over the world and it's a great race with some very good, improving young horses. It's going to be tough but we're looking forward to it."
The King's Stand is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, providing an automatic, paid berth to its winner into the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Santa Anita Park.
