Bethell hoping Regional outlook is favourable in Hackwood Stakes

Ed Bethell’s dependable stable star Regional will bid to be the toast of the yard in the Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The seven-year-old has hardly run a bad race across the last three seasons, and has a Group One win in the Haydock Sprint Cup to his name alongside multiple placings in the upper echelons of the division.

This year he has appeared to be as good as ever, going down by less than a length when third in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in April and then coming home third again in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“He’s grand, he’s in really good nick,” said Bethell.

“We’re really looking forward to it, I just hope the rain doesn’t materialise.

“I’ve been very pleased with him since Ascot, he worked really well on Tuesday.

“Hopefully he goes there with a big chance, but it’s not an easy Group race at all and there are some good horses in there.

“He’s ultra consistent for a sprinter, he always turns up and he’s a legend for us.

“I’m very fortunate to be able to train a horse like him so early on in my career, it’s an absolute pleasure.”

Karl Burke’s Elite Status won the contest last term as Regional finished fourth, and the trainer is hoping cheekpieces can bring about a return to the same level of form.

He said: “We’re hoping for a big run, we put the sheepskins on him a couple of weeks ago and he worked very well in them – he seems in good form.

“He has been a little bit disappointing so we’ve lowered our sights a little bit to try to get him going again.

“The ground was a bit against him at York and he probably got tired, but Ascot was a little bit a non-event for him really.

“I wouldn’t want too much rain for him, as long as it’s good ground that’ll be fine.”

Saffie Osborne takes the ride on the Chipchase Stakes winner Diligent Harry, who carries a penalty for that Group Three triumph and is aiming for a first success on turf.

“It’s a really good race and he’s obviously got to carry the penalty,” Osborne told Sky Sports Racing.

“He’s been absolutely flying at home, he feels great and we’re slightly on weather watch – hopefully there’s not too much rain.

“He’s a seriously classy horse and he’s shown what he can do at Group One level with some really good runs in defeat. Hopefully he can go on to bigger and better things this year.”

As Diligent Harry won the Chipchase, James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue could only come home in ninth place, another below-par effort after his luckless run in the Prix du Gros-Chene.

On the latter occasion he had a run-in with the stalls, and connections are hoping he can get back on track after finishing third in this last year and going on to strike at Group One level on Champions Day at Ascot.

Richard Brown, racing manager to owner Wathnan Racing, said: “His first start this year was a non-event, he reared as the stalls opened and missed the break by six or eight lengths.

“We then took him to Newcastle on the all-weather and we were all very disappointed and left scratching our heads.

“His work has been good since and everyone seems happy with him, hopefully getting him back on turf will see him get back to somewhere near his best.”