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Rock Eagle On Trial In FTQ At Chelmsford City

Fast Track Qualifiers
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11 March 2021

Unexposed stayer Rock Eagle features among an evenly matched field for the chelmsfordcityracecourse.com Conditions Stakes (6.50pm), with just 5lb separating all four runners on official ratings in the Chelmsford City highlight on Saturday, March 13.  
 
The two-mile contest is the concluding Fast-Track Qualifier of this season’s All-Weather Championships, with a place in the Betway All-Weather Marathon Championship on Good Friday up for grabs. 
 
Having finished fifth in the Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket in October, Rock Eagle (Ralph Beckett/Rossa Ryan) made a successful debut on the All-Weather in a two-mile class two handicap at Kempton Park on November 18. 
 
Jeff Smith’s six-year-old was unable to justify favouritism in a similar contest at Kempton Park on January 6, when he finished well off a slow pace to take third behind Lucky Deal (Mark Johnston/Franny Norton), who reopposes.  
 
Trainer Ralph Beckett captured the 2016 All-Weather Marathon Championship with Moonrise Landing and said today: “Rock Eagle is in good nick. 
 
“He had a short break after his run at Kempton in January and I expect this run will bring him forward. 

“This will be the first time he has gone left-handed in a race. It is very much a stepping-stone for him to show us that he can go left-handed before we run him at Lingfield.” 

Ranch Hand (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) has a 3lb penalty thanks to his victory in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newmarket in September. The five-year-old has since made two appearances over hurdles, including a win at Exeter in November.  
 
As well as Lucky Deal, Mark Johnston also saddles 10-year-old Watersmeet (Joe Fanning). The stalwart has won 13 of his 30 career starts on the All-Weather, with his biggest success coming in the 2019 Betway All-Weather Marathon Championship.  
 
Watersmeet returned from a 632-day absence to finish a creditable fourth in a class two handicap at Wolverhampton on February 15, a race in which Lucky Deal was fifth. 
 
Johnston’s contenders have excellent records at Chelmsford City – Lucky Deal has won three of his four starts at the track while Watersmeet has enjoyed three wins and two seconds from five attempts.

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