Lantern set to shine in Albany Stakes

9th June, 2012 - Posted by Elliot Slater - Comments Off

Champion trainer Richard Hannon has his horses in tremendous form at the moment and as usual his powerful team of juveniles are leading the charge. His Sky Lantern looked very useful when winning recently in Ireland and is now reported to be right on target to bid for the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 22, writes Elliot Slater.

Sky Lantern created a very good impression when making a winning debut at Goodwood in mid-May having been sent off the evens favourite in the online betting on racing on www.betvictor.com.

Those short odds came amidst rumours that the daughter of Red Clubs had been showing plenty of speed on the home gallops. She didn’t disappoint supporters either, travelling well throughout the six furlong contest before cruising away under Richard Hughes to beat Cruck Realta by an easy three-and-a-half-lengths.

Back on duty just 10 days later when tackling the listed Coolmore Stud European Breeders’ Fund Sprint Stakes at Naas on June 4, Hannon’s filly was again sent off favourite and duly made it two wins from two starts under Hughes, coming through to take up the running at the furlong pole then battling on bravely to see off David Wachman’s True Verdict by half a length and book herself a trip to Royal Ascot in the process.

Reported to have come out of her trip to Ireland with flying colours, connections now seem keen to bid for a pattern race success and the six furlong Albany Stakes, (a race restricted to two-year-old fillies), appears to nicely fit the bill. Hannon is confident that Sky Lantern will stay at least seven furlongs this season and believes there could be better to come from the scopey sort who has plenty of size about her, suggesting she might well prove to be around for a couple of seasons at least and is more likely to train on as a three-year-old than many similarly sharp juveniles.

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