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ASHADIHAN RETURNS IN FAST-TRACK QUALIFIER AT CHELMSFORD CITY

Fast Track Qualifiers
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06 February 2017

Group Three winner Ashadihan heads a field of seven for the £20,000 winner.co.uk Mobile Loyalty Free Bets Fillies' Conditions Stakes (3.30pm) at Chelmsford City on Wednesday, February 8.   The seven-furlong Polytrack contest is a Fast-Track Qualifier, with the winner gaining a free and guaranteed place, for the £150,000 32Red All-Weather Fillies' And Mares' Championships over the same distance and surface at Lingfield Park on All-Weather Championship Finals Day, Good Friday, April 14. Ashadihan (Kevin Ryan/Kevin Stott) had her first start of 2016 on the All-Weather with an impressive last to first success in the seven-furlong G3 Chartwell Fillies' Stakes at Lingfield Park in May.   The four-year-old, who was runner-up in the 2015 G3 Albany Stakes, ran another excellent race at Royal Ascot a year later when sixth to Qemah in the G1 Coronation Stakes over a mile. She also finished fifth to Alice Springs in the G1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket the following month but was below that level on her final start of the campaign in a Listed contest at the same course in September, coming home 10th.  Trainer Kevin Ryan said today: "Ashadihan is in great form. "We had the option of running her on Saturday [in the Cleves Stakes] over six furlongs but decided, as it is her first run of the season, to wait for the fillies' only race.  "She has got a five pound penalty, but she has matured well over the winter and is a stronger filly this year. She won first time out last year and is not a hard filly to get fit. We are very happy with her.   "All options are open after this. We plan to travel her at some stage this year, which is why she wasn't over raced last year. We wouldn't rule anything out at the minute." Ashadihan, ridden by Kevin Stott for the first time and drawn in stall two, faces six rivals include progressive four-year-old Buying Trouble (David Evans/Adam Kirby), who was placed in three Listed sprints last year, and Godolphin's Mise En Rose (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), runner-up in the G3 Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster in September. Course and distance winner Volunteer Point (Mick Channon/Graham Lee) captured the 2016 32Red All-Weather Fillies' And Mares' Championships on Good Friday but needs to bounce back from two below-par efforts. Bahaarah (Richard Hannon/Sean Levey), Make Music (Andrew Balding/David Probert) and Golden Amber (Dean Ivory/Robert Winston) also run. Chelmsford City's seven-race programme on Wednesday starts at 2.00pm and ends at 5.10pm.

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