Good Friday targets on Tate's agenda Shimmering Dawn is all set for her long-term target at Lingfield on Good Friday. The James Tate-trained five-year-old booked her place for All-Weather Championships Finals Day with victory in a fast-track qualifier at Chelmsford last month. She was unable to match the colts and geldings in Listed company at Wolverhampton last time — but that classy race was always a stepping stone to the Ladbrokes All-Weather Fillies’ and Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes. Asked if Shimmering Dawn is still on course for that contest, Tate said: “Very much so. “Nothing went her way in the Listed race against colts the other day. “They weren’t really coming from behind that day, so we’ll put a line through that. “I’m sure she’ll be in good form to take on her own sex again at Lingfield.” Shimmering Dawn had little to lose and potentially plenty to gain in Wolverhampton’s Lady Wulfruna Stakes. Tate added: “It was ‘do we not run her and give her a couple of pieces of work, or do we give her a run and just hope for luck?’ “We didn’t really get luck. There was a tailwind up the straight — nothing was coming from behind, and it just didn’t happen. “With a nice filly like her, you’re always hoping to get some black type somewhere. It was a bit of a free shot.” He has every right to hope for better on finals day, when Victory Heights will also be in action for the yard. “Shimmering Dawn has won over course and distance (at Lingfield),” he said. “I don’t know how much she likes Wolverhampton actually. I know she loves Chelmsford — maybe she likes Lingfield more than Wolverhampton? We’ll find out next Friday! “We’ve got Victory Heights in the three-year-old sprint as well — he won a fast-track qualifier in December (at Wolverhampton). “He’s in good form, so he heads for that.” There could be further all-weather gains in the offing for Tate on the same day at Chelmsford — where he hopes to have the lightly-raced Sky Commander in action again after his good comeback performance to finish second in a Lingfield handicap this month. “I was very happy with his run,” he said. “We originally put him away when we realised he wasn’t a grass horse. “Then he had niggly problems, which kept him from reappearing. “He was still green taking on handicappers, and he learned during the race — but I thought he finished it off nicely. “I hope he’ll take a bit of beating next time. Probably, he’ll go for a Class 3 at Chelmsford on Good Friday as well.” There is no prospect of Sky Commander having a summer on the turf, though. “His two grass runs were diabolical,” added Tate. “He is by War Command — (who is) by War Front — so there are a lot of artificial (surface) influences in his pedigree “When the all-weather races dry up, we’ll probably give him a break. We’ll keep him away from the green stuff — just feed it to him!”
