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| Sumita Pawar |
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On Wednesday morning, Coolangatta and Cannonball, two Australian raiders, prepared for Tuesday's King's Stand Stakes by completing individual workouts on Ascot's straight track.
Coolangatta aims to add to the impressive list of Lightning Stakes champions at Royal Ascot, which includes Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast, Black Caviar, and Nature Strip, all of whom have won the five-furlong feature race before the summer event.
Coolangatta and big-race jockey James McDonald, with co-trainer Ciaron Maher present, completed a workout of almost five furlongs. They finished comfortably ahead of lead horse So Chic.
Maher's Mare Ready For Ascot
Maher said,“The idea was to bring Coolangatta here and have a look at the whole surrounds. We did a bit of paddock schooling and then had a nice look at the track.
“She stretched nicely to the line and James said she took quite a while to pull up. He was beaming about the work and it was everything I wanted to see.
“She has really thrived since being here – she is in the very quiet surrounds of Lambourn – and she was in need of a nice hit out to keep a lid on her.”
Last year, McDonald emerged as one of the top riders at Royal Ascot with three victories, including a remarkable performance by Nature Strip in the King's Stand Stakes, and he is excited to make a comeback this year as a rider hailing from New Zealand.
Maher Praises Talented Filly's Victory
Maher added, “Coolangatta handled the track beautifully. She ticked a lot of boxes and I was delighted the way she stretched and extended. I let her breeze through the line and she pulled up extremely well. She is a strong five-furlong horse and an extremely talented filly. She is a dual Group One winner who has beaten one of the best sprinters in Australia in I Wish I Win.
“She did it really well over the five furlongs at Flemington, which gives us a bit of confidence coming here. The quality she beat that day in the Lightning was simply sensational – any of those sprinters could travel anywhere around the world and be competitive.
“Nature Strip was a champion racehorse but Coolangatta is getting there and I have no doubt she will run well on Tuesday. This morning has given me a lot of confidence.”
Cannonball, who is part of the training partnership of Peter and Paul Snowden and hails from Coolangatta, finished third in the Group One Galaxy Handicap at Rosehill in March of this year.
Sprinting Success: Australian Approach
Regarding the success of Australian sprinters at Royal Ascot, Snowden said, “We focus a lot on speed. Our two-year-old races are worth a fortune, colts are now worth a fortune, and it makes sense to get them up and running early. If a colt wins a Golden Slipper and a Caulfield Guineas, they are worth 50 million.
"With the breeding, we do not think about racing for Melbourne Cups worth eight million when the Everest is worth 15 or 20 million. Our emphasis is just going the other way to you guys here, where it is all about the Classics, which is fantastic for the longevity and depth of breeding. Our mindset is all about speed on speed on speed and quick returns. Whether it is good or bad, I am not sure, but that is what our industry in Australia is built on.”