Botti readying Charline for Meydan

Marco Botti is hoping to get a racecourse gallop into Euro Charline ahead of the Dubai Turf at Meydan next month.

With no suitable prep race in line for the four-year-old, who had a six-and-half-furlong gallop in Newmarket at the weekend, Botti is opting to send the Team Valor-owned four-year old for a spin at Chelmsford City.

"Euro Charline did her first bit of serious work at the weekend and everything went fine. She always works well and showed the same attitude she showed last year," said Botti.

"She could have a racecourse gallop or two as there is not a suitable race for her. The Winter Derby comes too close to the race and the Winter Derby Trial comes too soon, while the race at Wolverhampton (Lady Wulfruna) is over seven furlongs, which is not ideal.

"I have still to ask for permission but it will probably be at Chelmsford City where she goes for one (gallop) because it is a left-handed track which is the same as the track at Meydan."

After her victory in the Grade One Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington in August it was expected that Euro Charline was to stay in America for the rest of her career, but following a change of heart from her owners she returned to Newmarket and was placed under the care of Botti again on November 18.

"Of course I am delighted she is back as she was probably one of the best fillies in Europe last year and if she improves again she will be right up there with the very best of them. There will be plenty of races for her," said Botti.

"She has progressed well since she has come back and so far we have not had any setbacks with her. She has always been tall and I don't think she has grown up but she has definitely filled out in the neck and she is stronger than last year for sure."

While the focus at present is geared towards her outing in the highly valuable nine-furlong contest in Dubai, formerly run as the Dubai Duty Free, thoughts are formulating in the back of Botti's mind as to what long term goals she may be aimed at.

"She could go for the Duke of Cambridge or we might go against the colts for the Queen Anne, but at the moment it is too far to pin her down to which race she would go for, and it all depends on how she runs at Meydan," said Botti.

"There are plenty of options for her as we could drop her back to a mile or step her up to a mile and a quarter. I think she will get a mile and a quarter especially the way she finished in the Beverly D. Stakes."