Saturday's G3 Coral Winter Derby offers a fascinating rematch between the first and second in the Listed Winter Derby Trial over the same Lingfield track and 10-furlong trip Feb. 6, with just a half-length separating Grendisar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Festive Fare (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}). Both have fine records on the all-weather, with the former bidding to go one better than when second to Britain's chief synthetics runner Tryster (Ire) (Shamardal) in this 12 months ago. Tryster's trainer Charlie Appleby puts forward Festive Fare in the hope that he can find improvement on his seasonal bow behind Grendisar, which was his first reversal in four all-weather starts.
“Festive Fare came out of the trial for this race in good order and we hope that he might have learnt a bit from that experience,” Appleby said. “He didn't come down the hill very well last time, but galloped out strongly. We have put cheek-pieces on him this time to hopefully allow him to race more prominently and help him to travel better down the hill. I am expecting a big run from him.”
One intriguing contender from the John Gosden stable is the Chilean performer Furia Cruzada (Chi) (Newfoundland), successful in the G1 Gran Premio Gilberto Lerena and G1 Gran Premio Criadores at Palermo last term and an unknown quantity in this sphere. Her stable companion Maverick Wave (Elusive Quality) has to better his latest sixth in the Listed Churchill S. over this track and trip in November, but his success in the G3 Huxley S. at Chester in May proved that he is a class act from the front by turning back the eventual Canadian International hero Cannock Chase (Lemon Drop Kid). “Maverick Wave is ready to begin his campaign. Since he is rated 110, there are few opportunities for him until later in the season,” Gosden commented.
The fancied William Haggas-trained Battalion (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) was scratched Friday afternoon after coming up sore Thursday evening.
The Winter Derby is a fast-track qualifier for the £200,000 Coral Easter Classic on Good Friday Mar. 25.
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