James Tate is eyeing up Group success for filly Electric Storm with the Jenningsbet Nun Street Newcastle Open Now Chipchase Stakes next on her agenda.
The lightly-raced Electric Storm has had an impressive career to date with three victories from four starts, most recently in the Cecil Frail at Haydock last month.
She won by a length in the Listed six-furlong contest to propel herself into Group contention, but she bypassed Royal Ascot due to the fast ground.
Instead, Electric Storm will head to Gosforth Park on Saturday for her first crack at Pattern company, back on the all-weather surface which kicked off her career.
Tate has an alternative route with the Group Three Prix De Ris-Orangis at Deauville on July 7, however, it is more than likely Electric Storm will line up this weekend.
“We felt going straight from a Listed to a Group One was a little too much,” Tate said. “Obviously she just won a Listed on what was essentially heavy ground – it was very quick at Ascot last week – so they were the tipping factors really.
“She’s entered in the Chipchase on Saturday. It is a little bit stronger than usual, the ante-post favourite is Kinross, who of course came out of Ascot for a similar reason.”
He went on: “So potentially we have a choice between that and a French Group Three the following Sunday at Deauville, so we will make that decision at the end of the week. At the moment I would say the Chipchase though, as she is proven on the all-weather having won twice on it.
“Even in France, the ground at this time of year can be very quick and that’s in the height of the summer, the all-weather is the sensible option for her.”
Tate had previously hinted at targeting the Summer Stakes at York next month for his four-year-old sprinter, but those plans could be shelved if she is successful at Newcastle.
“I guess it depends how it all goes,” he added. “Being a Listed winner, now what we want to do is win a Group race.
“The Summer Stakes is the only fillies’ Group race in Britain, possibly Europe actually, over six furlongs, but if she had already won a Group Three by then, then the goalposts would move upwards.”
There was one runner from Jamesfield Place at the Royal meeting last week, with Royal Dress finishing just over six lengths behind Running Lion in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes.
Tate admitted the ground was too fast for the four-year-old, although he does expect her to bounce back on her next start.
“She ran OK at Ascot, the ground went against her really, she likes soft ground,” he said. “There’s a few nice races at the end of July that should suit her.
“I think there’s a one-mile-one Group Three fillies-only in Ireland, there is the Nassau, fillies-only obviously, (on) August 1 at Goodwood, there’s a fillies-only Group One at Newmarket – the Falmouth – and there’s a fillies-only Group Three at Sandown – the Atalanta.
“Four races within about 10 days so we’ll choose whichever one of those isn’t too quick.”
Watch the action at Newcastle live on Sky Sports Racing.
