Tate eyeing Royal Ascot for juvenile pair

Blue Storm and Natural Force bound for Berkshire in June.

James Tate will run exciting colt Blue Storm in the National Stakes at Sandown on Thursday week as he winds up his team for Royal Ascot.

Blue Storm, a son of Darley’s first-season sire Blue Point, looked a smart prospect when beating six rivals on debut in a five-furlong novice at Newmarket last month.

Newmarket trainer Tate also unveiled another potentially decent sprinter in the shape of Natural Force, a son of Land Force, who won a similar event at Ascot under Neil Callan on Saturday.

Both colts look set for the Royal meeting next month.

Tate said: “We were absolutely delighted with Natural Force. Hopefully we will have a couple of nice two-year-olds to go to war with this year – him and Blue Storm.

“Blue Storm hasn’t run for a while. We have saved him for the National Stakes a week on Thursday and if we’re lucky enough for all to go well in that, we will be off to Ascot afterwards.

“Natural Force, when you obviously win first time at Ascot, your immediate thought would be Royal Ascot. He is all good and we will have a chat with owner Saeed Manana.

“The only question is really whether he wants to go straight there or whether he will wants to take on something in the middle. The timescale is getting a little bit tighter.”

Tate was pleased that Natural Force gained some course experience, which is likely to stand him in good stead should he return for the Royal meeting.

He added: “He took the whole prelims and things well, because obviously Royal Ascot is a very exciting place for a two-year-old and we’ve had more than one been over-faced by it in the past.

“Neil (Callan) said he was very professional and very easy, and won with a bit in hand, so let’s hope he is right.

“I would have thought he will stay at five (furlongs), with the Windsor Castle for him and the Norfolk for Blue Storm.”

Royal Aclaim worked well on Sunday ahead of a possible Haydock run
Royal Aclaim worked well on Sunday ahead of a possible Haydock run (Nigel French/PA)

Meanwhile, Royal Aclaim, who won the Listed City Walls Stakes at York before finishing sixth to Highfield Princess in the Group One Nunthorpe at the same venue last summer, could head make her return at Haydock in a fortnight’s time.

“She galloped on Sunday morning and all was good,” said Tate. “I would have thought she would end up at Haydock the weekend after next.

“There is a six-furlong fillies’ Listed race, the Cecil Frail, on the Friday and and a five-furlong Group Two on the Saturday, the Temple Stakes. All being well, we’d like to get her back in one of those two races.

“Obviously, that would fit nicely for Royal Ascot afterwards, if all went well. We would like to try her over six furlongs at some stage. Whether we do it before Ascot or after Ascot I don’t know.”

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