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Fanshawe has two chances for Winter Oaks gold

3 minute read

Viola and Serenading take aim at £100,000 Lingfield feature.

Picture: Pat Healy Photography

James Fanshawe hopes Viola  and Serenading  can make their mark in the Coral Winter Oaks Fillies' Handicap at Lingfield on Saturday.

Both horses head for the £100,000 contest in good form, with Viola winning the official trial for the race at Southwell and Serenading losing nothing in defeat to the reopposing Umm Hurair at Wolverhampton.

Viola comes back in trip, while Serenading is going up in distance.

"Viola is going shorter this time and that is my main concern, that she's going over a mile and a quarter rather than a mile and a half," said the Newmarket handler.

"She is consistent on the all-weather and she likes Lingfield."

Of Serenading, he said: "Although her pedigree wouldn't suggest it, Serenading has always looked like she would stay a mile and a quarter so it might just suit her.

"It's such a valuable race, so we're giving it a go, she has always looked like she would stay. It's a great pot, that's why we're going there."

Umm Hurair had Serenading two lengths back in second place when completing the hat-trick last month.

But the Awtaad filly must cope with a mark 23lb higher than when she started her winning run.

"Umm Hurair takes her racing well and we have been very happy with the way she has been training," said Harry Charlton, who now shares the licence at Beckhampton with his father, Roger.

"When we sent her up to Wolverhampton in early December, the plan at that stage was to win a little race and then probably go to stud. She has just improved and improved, and I think winning three in quick succession was a bonus.

"Then a valuable race like this comes along and we thought we would give it one more shot. We are going up a furlong and a bit from Wolverhampton and we hope that will be no problem.

"The only question mark is that last time she won off a rating of 75 if you include Harry Burns' claim, whereas she runs here in a better race off a stone higher. That is a fair hike to contend with and will certainly be no pushover."

Simon Dow reports Arenas Del Tiempo, who has not run since September, to be in prime condition after she had a spin over the track as part of her preparations.

"She's in good shape, when we saw the race we thought we had to give it a go. She's in good form and Tom Marquand rode her in a breeze around Lingfield two weeks ago.

"Hollie (Doyle) knows her well and is able to ride her, so that's wonderful. She's won two races on her.

"When we've ridden her there before we held her up, but Hollie established a new race style for her. We'll probably let her roll forward and see if she's as effective doing it around there as she is at Epsom.

"She's going the right way, she's been well-beaten in class two company before but she's the sort of filly that's going to do better as time goes on.

"She's from a family of maturers and by a sire whose offspring get better as they go on, she seems to have grown up as she had a nice winter and a good break.

"She's in good shape and hopefully this will set her up for the rest of the year."


At The Races

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