Eve Lodge Likely For Fred Darling

Group 3 winner Eve Lodge (GB) (Ardad {Ire}) is pointing to Newbury's G3 Fred Darling S. on Apr. 16. The Charlie Fellowes trainee was last seen running ninth in the Sept. 25 G1 Cheveley Park S. The Mathis Stables, LLC runner has wintered well and holds a G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas entry. If she does not start in the Sirenia, she would instead run slightly earlier that month in the G3 Nell Gwyn S. at Newmarket on Apr. 12. Both races are over seven furlongs.

“Eve Lodge is really well,” said Fellowes. “She has had a good winter and a clear spring so far and the plan is to probably start her off in either the Nell Gywn or the Fred Darling, with a view to stretching out over a mile,” he said.

“She's got a Guineas entry and she's also entered in the French Guineas. My gut feeling is if she is good enough to run in a Guineas, the French Guineas might suit her better because you get more cut in the ground and a sharper track round a bend might suit her best. She looks great, she's where we want her and ideally I'd like to run her in the Fred Darling.”

Another Fellowes runner, the G3 Bengough S. heroine Vadream (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}), is possible for the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot in June. She was last seen running fifth in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. at Ascot in October.

“She is doing great,” the trainer said. “She had a really hard year last year so rather than cast our eye abroad, we decided to give her a proper holiday and freshen her up for this year.

“Because she won the Bengough at the end of last year, she carries a Group 3 penalty at the moment and there aren't a multitude of options for her until either York for the [G2] Duke of York [on May 11] or possibly we might look at the G2 Greenlands S. at the Curragh in the second half of May.

“If the ground came up soft at York I'd be happy to head up there, but if it was quick ground I'd be worried that six furlongs might be on the sharp side for her. We might look at going to Ireland where it might just suit her a bit better. She could go over there and then to Royal Ascot for the Platinum Jubilee.”