Royal Runner Lightning Polka Out To Strike At Ayr
Following an excellent launching at Haydock just a fortnight earlier, Lightning Polka will aim to bring the royal colours to Group Three success in the Ladbrokes-sponsored Firth Of Clyde at Ayr on Saturday.
The daughter of Night Of Thunder is among the first horses sent to fitness instructor Ed Walker by the King and Queen and made an ideal start to her career on Merseyside.
Her handler is well conscious she has far more on her plate in Scotland this weekend, however is hoping she can prove up to the task.
Speaking at Newbury on Friday, Walker said: "It's a wedding day and she was really impressive at Haydock on her debut.
"I think she'll be OK on the ground, even though 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've not done a lot considering that Haydock as this comes fast enough. I would have loved it to have actually been three weeks because her launching rather than 2, however she's a great filly and she was really simple and professional very first time.
Trainer Ed Walker is ready for a big afternoon at Ayr (John Walton/PA)
"It's a dream to train for the King and Queen and she was in fact our very first two-year-old to have a problem, which I couldn't think.
"I was so ecstatic to train two horses for the King and Queen and I have a very great filly who is a bit backward and after that Lightning Polka, who is more of a two-year-old type. She went and got a niggle early, but thankfully she overcame that quickly and she's amazing."
Among the greatest risks to Lightning Polka appears to be dual winner Coming Attraction, who won a hot conditions race at Chester last time and represents the growing Roger Varian string.
Also in the mix is Richard Fahey's Catching The Moon, who needed to settle for 2nd behind runner-up Awaken on her Leicester launching before easily dispatching a subsequent winner at Beverley at the second time of asking.
Fahey thinks the No Nay Never filly might not understand her complete potential up until next season, however is keen to test 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 sluggish side," he stated.
"We more than happy to run her and see what occurs. I think her first run was quite good and we feel we would probably beat the winner if we fulfilled once again and then the race at Beverley which she won will have done her the world of great, so we've been pleased with her.
"She's a filly for next year really and I didn't wish to run her too numerous times, but I needed to run her once again so I thought I may too run her in a great race and see how she gets on."
A total of 15 two-year-old fillies go to publish on the west coast of Scotland, with other notable names consisting of Simon and Ed Crisford's Lowther 4th Dandana, Ed Bethell's simple 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 very first appearance because 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 stay appropriate for a four-year-old who has suffered succeeding narrow beats at Listed level in the Gala Stakes and August Stakes.
"He's been a bit regrettable however he desires soft ground and ideally it will still have some cut in it on Saturday as the softer it is, the much better he will be," said Haggas.
"He's an extremely nice horse and when he gets soft ground you'll see an even better horse."