Fellowes enthused by likely Ascot going for Vadream

Sprinter is at her best when the mud is flying

Charlie Fellowes is being encouraged by the Ascot weather forecast ahead of Vadream’s tilt at the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes on Saturday.

Fellowes’ five-year-old, who is owned by Coventry City supremo Doug King, has twice run with credit at the end-of-season showpiece, finishing a respectable fifth in 2021 and then a place further back when sixth behind Kinross 12 months ago.

However, both of those appearances on British Champions Day came on good to soft ground and she is yet to encounter her preferred testing conditions at the meeting.

Vadream winning the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket
Vadream winning the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket (Nigel French/PA)

She was seen thriving with plenty of cut in the ground at the beginning of the current campaign when picking up both the Cammidge Trophy and Palace House Stakes and having tuned up for a third crack at this Group One prize with a pleasing effort in the recent Bengough Stakes, her handler is hoping the weather forecasters have got it right.

“We might be in business,” said Fellowes. “I’ve been keeping a close eye on the forecast and every time I look at it, more rain seems to be coming into it.

“It’s a Group One and a very good Group One as always. But as everyone knows, she is excellent when the ground gets horrible.

“This year she has put in three of her best ever runs and if she does what she did at Ascot (last time) and behaves the way she did before the race and is able to jump out and get a position close to the pace like she did there, then she will go there with as good a chance as she’s ever had because she loves that ground and there are not many horses who are as good as her on that ground.”

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