Tate plotting direct route to Finals Day for Victory Heights

Colt is on course for Good Friday date.

Victory Heights is to head for the Ladbrokes All-Weather Three-Year-Old Championship Final without another run.

The James Tate-trained colt booked his place at Lingfield on Good Friday with victory in a fast-track qualifier at Wolverhampton in early December.

“I think he’ll go straight for the final. He goes well fresh,” said Tate.

“We toyed with that fast-track qualifier at Newcastle at the end of February.

“Bar that, there isn’t anything suitable for him, so we’ll probably just get him ready and give him a gallop at Chelmsford or somewhere and go straight for the final.”

Tate cannot wait to start off Top Rank’s 2021 turf campaign in the Doncaster Mile at the end of March.

The Newmarket handler reports the five-year-old to be thriving and is hoping he can continue to progress.

The son of Dark Angel has won five of his seven starts, with his biggest success so far coming in the Group Three Superior Mile at Haydock in September.

“He’s in great form. He’s huge – he gets bigger and bigger. He’s about 580 kilos at the moment,” said Tate.

“Fingers crossed he can progress from four to five like he has done every other year. He’s the size and stamp that should.

“We’re dying to get going, so we’ll probably turn up at the first grass meeting at Doncaster for the mile Listed race and use that as a springboard to decide what are the best Group targets for him later in the year.

“He handles a bit of mud, and there is usually at bit of mud at Doncaster. Fingers crossed, it’s a good plan.”

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Lingfield James Tate Victory Heights

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