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| Staff Writer |
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Ed Walker is preparing Mgheera for a tilt at Royal Ascot's Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes following her impressive winning streak since joining the Lambourn stable.
The 5YO mare has proven unbeatable in two outings this season, with her Temple Stakes victory at Haydock demonstrating her prowess on good ground.
Walker credits jockey Tom Marquand with identifying the mare's ground preferences, explaining: "I think the quick ground has really helped her and credit goes to Tom Marquand who rode her work and told me she wanted fast ground."
The handler is bullish about Mgheera's chances of providing a strong start to his Royal Ascot campaign. "It'll be great if she could give us a good start to the week at Ascot and she's exciting," Walker commented.
However, Celandine, last season's Lowther Stakes winner, will be notably absent from Walker's Royal Ascot team following an untimely respiratory infection.
"She was due to run at Newmarket on Guineas weekend but got a respiratory infection which has set her back quite a bit," Walker revealed. "We took her out of Ascot and she's just on the back-burner now. I didn't want to start her in the Commonwealth Cup, so I took her out of it to resist the temptation."
The trainer acknowledged the challenges facing 3YO sprinters, adding: "She needs fast ground and is back in work, but we'll just have to see, it can be quite tough for 3YO sprinters."