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| Staff Writer |
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Following Regional's performance in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury, trainer Ed Bethell is considering entering him in the Nunthorpe at York and the Sprint Cup at Haydock.
The 6YO sprinter, Bethell's top horse, concluded his 2023 season by claiming victory in the Sprint Cup at Haydock. He began 2024 with a second-place finish in Ireland's Greenlands Stakes, followed by another runner-up spot in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
Regional skipped the July Cup at Newmarket due to unfavourable ground conditions. Hopes were high for a return to winning form in the Gr.3 Hackwood Stakes. Despite setting the early pace, Regional was ultimately overtaken by three talented three-year-olds: the impressive Elite Status, Lake Forest, and Kind Of Blue.
Bethell believes his horse performed creditably, considering the race didn't unfold in a way that suited Regional's strengths. The trainer remains optimistic about Regional's prospects in upcoming high-profile sprints.
“He’s come out of it well. It’s hard to say really, but they broke a track record and Quinault really blew the race wide apart and we got quite aggressive early on in the race which probably put paid to us in the last half-furlong,” said the North Yorkshire handler.
“Don’t take anything away from the winner, who was good and won well. Even if that hadn’t happened, would we have beaten the winner? I couldn’t be sure. I just feel that early pace duel might have put paid to our chances of finishing second.
“They went blisteringly quick – to break the track record at Newbury you’ve got to be pretty fast and they’ve got to be going a pretty end-to-end gallop, which is no one’s fault, it was just the way the race was run.”
While a defence of his Sprint Cup crown is clearly a major option for Regional, Bethell could be tempted to first head to the Knavesmire.
He added: “I’m going to leave him in the Nunthorpe and he’ll stay in the Sprint Cup and hopefully he’ll go for one if not two of those.
“I have a feeling that Sprint Cup could turn out to be hottest race of the year, whereas the Nunthorpe might open up a little bit.
“I’ll just see how he is over the next few weeks before making a decision closer to the time. Those are the aims and hopefully he’ll go for one of them if not two.
“There is also the Flying Five in Ireland, which is definitely an option as well if conditions allow.”