Bethell harbouring Hackwood hopes for Regional

Classy sprinter missed the July Cup due to ground conditions.

July Cup absentee Regional is set to be rerouted to the Fidelity Energy Hackwood Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, provided conditions are suitable.

Having filled the runner-up spot behind Australian raider Asfoora in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, last season’s Sprint Cup hero was due to step back up in distance at Newmarket, but was declared a non-runner on Saturday morning due to the rain-softened ground.

The official going at Newbury was described as good to soft, soft in places on Tuesday morning following over 16 millimetres of rain on Monday – but with the weather due to improve ahead of the weekend, trainer Ed Bethell is hopeful he will be able to run his stable star.

“I thought it was going to be on the easy side of good for the July Cup, which all the jockeys said it was, and I thought it was probably best for us to take our time and have a look at this race,” Bethell told Sky Sports Racing.

“Obviously they had rain yesterday, but it looks a very drying week, so hopefully we get a bit of good/good to firm ground on Saturday.

“It was a huge run (at Royal Ascot). It looked like he wanted six furlongs and a flat six like this at Newbury should play to his strengths.

“I’m really looking forward to running him. He’s been a great horse for all of us, so fingers crossed the ground dries out enough for him.”

Regional is the 3-1 favourite for the Hackwood Stakes with Coral, who rate the three-year-old pair of Elite Status and Lake Forest his biggest threats at 100-30 and 4-1 respectively.

Elite Status impressed in the Carnarvon Stakes over the course and distance on his latest outing, while Lake Forest was last seen finishing second to the impressive Inisherin – fifth as a hot favourite for the July Cup – in the Commonwealth Cup at the royal meeting.

Bethell added: “The three-year-olds are definitely worth worrying about, but at the same time Mill Stream and Swingalong took them on at Newmarket and beat them. Whether there was a bit of a track bias in that race I’m not sure, but we’ve got the form in the book and fingers crossed we can run a big race.

“He seems in good nick and I’m looking forward to it, but under no illusions that it’s going to be a hard race.

“I’m looking forward to having a go back over six furlongs in the Hackwood and we’ll probably be back on to the Sprint Cup after that.”

James's Delight (centre) winning at York
James’s Delight (centre) winning at York (Nigel French/PA)

Clive Cox could saddle both James’s Delight, a Listed winner in France earlier in the month, and Diligent Harry, who ran a rare disappointing race when down the field in the King Charles at Ascot.

“Apparently they had 16 millimetres of rain at Newbury last night, but we’ve got some very high temperatures coming later in the week,” said Cox.

“James’s Delight would appreciate an easier surface and it could just be suitable for both horses with the drier forecast for the end of the week.

“We’re very much taking it day by day, as is the case with a lot of horses at the moment, with the weather being so unpredictable.”

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