Estrange set to star as Carlisle host Group racing for first time Haydock’s loss will be Carlisle’s gain on Saturday, with top-class mare Estrange set to be the star attraction as the Cumbrian circuit prepares to stage Group-race action for the first time. Haydock staged a three-day meeting last week, with the first two days taking place without incident on the inner course. However, Friendly Soul put her foot in a hole and was lucky not to be brought down in the opening race on the outer track on Saturday, with no further racing taking place on that course. The three remaining sprint races on Saturday’s card switched to the inner track but as a result of the volume of racing taking place on that course in recent days, it was decided during an inspection on Tuesday that the two fixtures this week would have to be called off and they were subsequently moved to Wolverhampton and Carlisle respectively. Carlisle’s eight-race card features the Listed Betway Achilles Stakes and the Group Three Betway Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes, with the latter featuring David O’Meara’s stable star Estrange, who won this prize and the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock last season before finishing second at Group One level in both the Yorkshire Oaks and on Champions Day at Ascot. Carlisle’s general manager, Helen Willis, said: “We do have some good races on Carlisle Bell and Cumberland Plate day, which is in June every year, but this is the first time we’ve got ITV coverage and we’ve got over £400,000 in prize-money on offer. It’s something we’re very excited about. “We’re really pleased to get 88 runners (declared) across the card and we’re hoping for a good crowd. Obviously it’s quite short notice, but if there is anyone who hasn’t got plans and would like to come and join us that would be great. “We only have two Saturdays in our racing calendar so it’s fantastic to get another one and for it to be on ITV as well.” Estrange is one of eight runners declared for the £125,000 Betway Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes, with the Owen Burrows-trained pair of Azaniya and Waardah among her rivals. Eight runners are also set to go to post for the Betway Achilles Stakes, which features Clive Cox’s recent Windsor winner Redorange, Ed Bethell’s Lansdown Stakes scorer Azure Angel and the Ralph Beckett-trained Starlust, who is poised for his first competitive start since finishing fourth in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer.
