Royal Runner Lightning Polka Out To Strike At Ayr
Following an excellent debut at Haydock only a fortnight ago, 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 child of Night Of Thunder is one of the very first horses sent out to trainer Ed Walker by the King and Queen and made a best start to her profession on Merseyside.
Her handler is aware she has a lot more on her plate in this weekend, but is hoping she can show approximately the task.
Speaking at Newbury on Friday, Walker stated: "It's a wedding day and she was actually excellent at Haydock on her launching.
"I believe she'll be OK on the ground, although Tom (Marquand) said it was a bit dead and tacky when he rode there on Thursday.
"I believe she'll improve again from this run and we have actually not done a lot considering that Haydock as this comes quick enough. I would have loved it to have been three weeks given that her launching instead of 2, but she's a great filly and she was actually simple and expert first time.
Trainer Ed Walker is prepared for a huge afternoon at Ayr (John Walton/PA)
"It's a dream to train for the King and Queen and she was in fact our first two-year-old to have a setback, which I could not think.
"I was so fired up to train 2 horses for the King and Queen and I have a really good filly who is a bit backward and then Lightning Polka, who is more of a two-year-old type. She went and got a niggle early, however fortunately she got over that rapidly and she's exciting."
One of the biggest dangers to Lightning Polka seems dual 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 had to opt for second behind Albany Stakes runner-up Awaken on her Leicester debut before readily dispatching a subsequent winner at Beverley at the second time of asking.
Fahey believes the No Nay Never filly may not realise her complete capacity till next season, but is eager to check the waters at a higher level before the end of her juvenile campaign.
"We do like her but I'm uncertain how she will manage the ground if it's on the slow side," he said.
"We're happy to run her and see what occurs. I believe her first run was rather great and we feel we would most likely beat the winner if we reunited and then 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 really and I didn't want to run her too lots of times, however I required to run her once again so I thought I might too run her in a great race and see how she gets on."
A total of 15 two-year-old fillies go to post on the west coast of Scotland, with other noteworthy names including Simon and Ed Crisford's Lowther fourth Dandana, Ed Bethell's easy Catterick winner Rogue Attraction and George Boughey's unbeaten three-time winner India Love.
There is also 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 likely favourite in a field of 6 for a 10-furlong contest in which William Haggas is represented by Caviar Heights, with the Somerville Lodge handler hoping conditions remain appropriate for a four-year-old who has actually suffered succeeding narrow defeats at Listed level in the Gala Stakes and August Stakes.
"He's been a bit unfortunate however he wants soft ground and ideally it will still have some cut in it on Saturday as the softer it is, the better he will be," stated Haggas.
"He's an extremely good horse and when he gets soft ground you'll see an even better horse."