South American star Furia Cruzada (16/1 with Coral) features among 27 entries for the £100,000 Group Three Coral Winter Derby at Lingfield Park on Saturday, February 27.
The 10-furlong contest on Polytrack is a Fast-Track Qualifier for the £200,000 Coral Easter Classic at Lingfield Park on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, March 25.
The five-year-old Chilean-bred mare, now based in Newmarket with champion Flat trainer John Gosden, was last seen out on May 1 when capturing a 10-furlong Group One contest on dirt at Palermo Racecourse, Argentina. She proved her versatility when comfortably landing another Group One event, this time on turf, over 11 furlongs at Palermo the previous month. Furia Cruzada started racing in her native Chile where she won at Group One and Group Two level.
Gosden, seeking a first victory in the Coral Winter Derby, has also entered Group Three Huxley Stakes victor Maverick Wave (20/1) and Tempus Temporis (33/1), runner-up in the 32Red All-Weather Three-Year-Old Mile on Good Friday last year.
Sloane Avenue (7/1, Jeremy Noseda) is another with high-class contender with international form, having gone down by a short-head to Tamarkuz in the Group Two Godolphin Mile at Meydan, Dubai, in March, 2015.
Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby sent out Tryster to win both the Coral Winter Derby and Coral Easter Classic during last year's All-Weather Championships and could attempt to repeat the feat with Festive Fare (4/1 favourite). The four-year-old is unbeaten in three outings on the All-Weather and comfortably saw off Charles Camoin (40/1, Sylvester Kirk) in a valuable nine and a half furlong handicap at Wolverhampton last time out.
All-Weather specialists in contention include Grendisar (pictured above)(7/1, Marco Botti), runner-up last year, Fire Fighting (16/1, Mark Johnston), who captured a pair of Listed prizes on the All-Weather at the backend of last year, and Complicit (14/1, Paul Cole).
Complicit has a 50 per cent strike on the All-Weather from 10 starts and was one of the leading performers of the 2014/15 All-Weather Championships, with the pick of his efforts coming when second to Tryster in the Coral Easter Classic on Good Friday.
The five-year-old carried that form through to the turf season, finishing runner-up in a mile Listed race at Windsor in May and third to Arod in the Group Three Diomed Stakes at Epsom Downs in June.
After two slightly below par efforts in France, he had a break and returned earlier this month to finish third to in-form filly Lamar (12/1, James Tate) in a mile conditions race at Lingfield Park.
Oliver Cole, assistant to his Wantage-based father Paul, said: "Complicit is in good shape. Going into his last race, we thought we had him about 85 per cent fit and he has definitely come on for that at home.
"He is going to run in the coral.co.uk Winter Derby Trial a week on Saturday and we expect him to be spot on. He is working very well and has definitely improved a few lengths.
"We had him gelded before his last run because he can be a bit free in his races. It seems to have helped because he switched off well last time.
"Horses can go over the top. He had a long campaign last year and regressed, so we decided to give him a month off and we are expecting him to get back to where he was."
Energia Davos (16/1, Jane Chapple-Hyam), a Group Three scorer on turf at Newmarket in October, is another with good form on the All-Weather, as are course and distance Listed scorer Battalion (8/1, William Haggas) and 2014 Ladbrokes Mile hero Captain Cat (pictured below)(16/1, Roger Charlton).
Other eye-catching entries include Tullius (10/1, Andrew Balding), winner of the Group Two York Stakes over 10 furlongs on turf in July, the highly-regarded Moheet (16/1, Richard Hannon), recent Chelmsford City scorer Our Channel (14/1, William Haggas) and German challenger Pistolero (40/1), trained by Michael Figge.
The scratchings deadline is at noon on Tuesday, February 9. A maximum of 14 runners can take part in the Coral Winter Derby.
Coral Winter Derby, Coral bet:
4/1 Festive Fare, 7/1 Grendisar, Sloane Avenue, 8/1 Battalion, 10/1 Tullius, 12/1 Lamar, 14/1 Complicit, Our Channel, 16/1 Captain Cat, Energia Davos, Fire Fighting, Furia Cruzada, Moheet, 20/1 Calling Out, Maverick Wave, 25/1 Franklin D, Man of Harlech, Watersmeet, 33/1 Bravo Zolo, Tempus Temporis, 40/1 Charles Camoin, Forceful Appeal, Pistolero, 50/1 Battle of Marathon, Sirius Prospect, Si Senor, 66/1 Brocklebank.
