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CITY LIGHTS UP CHANTILLY WITH FAST-TRACK QUALIFIER SUCCESS

Fast Track Qualifiers
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06 March 2018

City Light booked his place for All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, March 30, with an impressive success in the €40,000 Prix Anabaa over six and a half furlongs on Polytrack at Chantilly, France, today, Tuesday, March 6.  The four-year-old son of Siyouni, trained near Deauville by Stephane Wattel, was well positioned throughout the contest under Theo Bachelot, settling in second behind front runner Jack Flash.  Travelling kindly entering the home straight, City Light swept to the front nearly two furlongs out and quickened up smartly, repelling the sustained challenge of the well-supported favourite, Godolphin's Rosa Imperial (Andre Fabre/Mickael Barzalona), to score by three quarters of a length. Lucky Team was a further three and a half lengths back in third of the seven runners. The winning time was 1m 16.49s. Having won this Fast-Track Qualifier, City Light gains a free and automatic place in the £150,000 Betway All-Weather Sprint Championships over six-furlongs on Polytrack at Lingfield Park on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, for which he is now a 16/1 chance with the sponsor.   City Light was second to subsequent G3 Betway Winter Derby runner-up Mr Owen on his first All-Weather start at Deauville in December over an extended seven furlongs in the Listed Prix Luthier and connections are keen to target the All-Weather Championships according to his trainer. Wattel said: "It was a quality field today and City Light did it really well.   "We already saw he ran well on his first time on the All-Weather, and today he showed that the distance and surface was perfect for him. "This was my first runner this year of those that haven't been running all winter.   "I have to speak to the owners (Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard), but I'd really like to go to Lingfield with him. I think the track should suit him at Lingfield. "It's a very good championship and I ran him in this race specifically to qualify."  A trip to Lingfield Park for Finals Day could also be on the cards for Lucky Team (Joel Boisnard/Hugo Journiac), with connections hoping to step the six-year-old back up in trip for the £150,000 Sun Bets All-Weather Mile Championships. Owner Olivier Boulin commented: "Lucky Team was a bit unlucky today, but ran very well and the plan is still to come for the Mile Championship on March 30. We feel the extra distance will be an advantage as he ran well in Listed Prix Saonois last time."

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