Rohaan ready to rumble on Lingfield reappearance

Royal Ascot hero has thrived through the winter months.

Rohaan looks to get his season under way on the all-weather as he takes on the Listed Kachy Stakes at Lingfield on Saturday.

The David Evans-trained four-year-old enjoyed a successful 2020, proving his effectiveness on artificial surfaces before taking to the turf and landing both the Pavilion and the Sandy Lane Stakes and then triumphing in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot.

Last seen in the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot in October, the gelding has since had a break and Evans reports him to be in fine fettle ahead of a winter in which he is likely to look for success overseas as well as on home ground.

“He has done really well for a break. He has put on weight and matured into a strong, powerful horse,” Evans said.

Rohaan (second from left) winning the Sandy Lane Stakes
Rohaan (second from left) winning the Sandy Lane Stakes (Tim Goode/PA)

“Beyond this, he has an entry for the turf sprint in Saudi and there is also the Dubai World Cup meeting to think about.

“They would look two nice options and we will see how things unfold in the coming weeks.”

Karl Burke has a trio of runners, with reigning champion Exalted Angel poised to defend his title after striking at 20-1 under Clifford Lee this time last season.

Drawn in stall four, the six-year-old defeated Fizzy Feet by a neck last term from a much wider berth.

“All three are in great form, but he seems as well as I’ve ever had him,” Burke said.

“It’s a tough race, I think if anything it’s slightly better than last year’s race, but he’s got a nice draw in four and goes there with a great chance of at least a place.”

Stablemate Lord Of The Lodge was a winner at Kempton over six furlongs in January and has developed into a consistent horse on the all-weather, though Burke feels seven furlongs is his favoured trip.

“I think seven is probably a better trip for him, certainly on a sharp track like Lingfield. But he goes there in great form,” he said.

“He has a decent draw again (stall five) and we expect a big run for him.”

Lord Of The Lodge winning at Lingfield
Lord Of The Lodge winning at Lingfield (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Burke also runs the Highclere-owned Spycatcher, who has been narrowly beaten in his two runs on the all-weather when running over seven furlongs at both Lingfield and Wolverhampton late last year.

“He was a bit unlucky when he ran at Lingfield, another stride and he’d have probably had the race,” the trainer said.

“I was a bit surprised he didn’t finish his race out at Wolverhampton – I’m not sure why, he looked like the winner a furlong and a half out, coming into the straight, and then didn’t quite get there.

“He didn’t quite pick up as quickly as I thought he would, but a fast pace on Saturday will suit him very well and again, he goes there in very good form.”

David Loughnane is represented by the aforementioned Fizzy Feet, a horse with a poignant connection to the race as her owner, Dave Lowe, also owned the race’s namesake Kachy – winner of the event in both 2018 and 2019.

“She nearly completed a dream for us last year, she just got pipped on the line but she did everything right and just got found out in the last 100 yards unfortunately,” he said of the filly.

Fizzy Feet (far right) who runs in the same silks at the late Kachy
Fizzy Feet (far right) who runs in the same silks at the late Kachy (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“We go back there again, we’ve got a lovely draw again this year (stall two).

“Although on ratings we’re probably not as good as some of the others, running round Lingfield she’s a different horse.

“If she gets the rail to guide her round she’s a different horse altogether, she’ll fight all day long and she doesn’t need to lead, she can come from off the pace and she should get a good position from that draw.”

Ismail Mohammed’s Good Effort is a key challenger having taken the race in 2020 and also landed the Golden Rose Stakes, another six-furlong Listed race at Lingfield, for the past two years.

Peter Charalambous’ Apollo One, Scott Dixon’s One Night Stand and Keith Dalgleish’s Soldier’s Minute complete the field of nine.

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