REGIONAL is the logical favourite for the Group 3 Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes at Newbury this afternoon.

Ed Bethell’s horse is a Group 1 winner for starters, he won the Sprint Cup at Haydock in September two seasons ago, and he doesn’t have to carry a penalty for that win today.

He hasn’t won since, but he raced just three times last season, finishing second in the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes and in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes, and he ran well again in the King Charles III Stakes this season at Royal Ascot to finish a close-up third behind American Affair.

But he is short and it is not insignificant that he finished only fourth in this race last year. That is his only run at Newbury to date, and it came on the back of an even better run last year in the King Charles II Stakes.

By contrast, Elite Status has put up the two best performances of his career at the Berkshire track, over today’s course and distance.

He won the Listed Carnarvon Stakes on his seasonal return last year, when he cleared away from his rivals through the final furlong and won impressively.

His second course win was in this race last year. He wasn’t as visually impressive there as he had been in the Carnarvon Stakes, but he kept on well to get the better of Regional and an in-form Kind Of Blue, and he had enough in reserve to get home by a half a length from the fast-finishing subsequent Golden Eagle winner Lake Forest.

Never travelling

He didn’t win again last season, but he only raced twice. He was drawn on the wrong side next time in the Sprint Cup at Haydock, and he was never travelling on the soft ground on his final run of the season in the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot. He does handle soft ground, but he has never been his best at Ascot.

He has run twice this season to date. He ran well on his seasonal return to finish fourth behind Inisherin and Flora Of Bermuda in the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes.

He was well beaten last time in the Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, but, as above, it appears as though Ascot is just not his track. In three runs there he has finished third (beaten favourite in the Norfolk Stakes), 19th and 12th.

Kind Of Blue would be a player if he could return to his best, but he has been well beaten in each of his two runs this season, and he is a leap of faith now.

Jarraaf could bounce back in first-time blinkers after disappointing in the Wokingham, and the lightly-raced King’s Gamble is worth watching on his seasonal return, dropping down to six furlongs for the first time since he finished third behind Lake Forest in the Gimcrack as a juvenile.

But it could be worthwhile giving Elite Status another chance, now that he is returning to Newbury. Karl Burke has surely had this race at least in the back of his mind for him for a little while, and it is interesting that he is fitting cheekpieces for the first time.

He has a nice draw in stall six in the centre, and he may be able to maintain his perfect record at the track.

Steventon Stakes

Earlier in the day, Okeechobee could be the answer to the Listed BetVictor Steventon Stakes, and fair play to BetVictor for reinstating the name of the race under their sponsorship.

Harry Charlton’s horse is six now, but he has raced just seven times in his life.

He has obviously had his issues, he missed all of 2023 when he was four and he raced just twice last season as a five-year-old.

But, winner of three of his four races at three, he finished second to quadruple Group 1 winner Dubai Honour on his debut last season in the Listed Magnolia Stakes at Kempton, and he followed that up with a game performance to win the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown, coming from back in the field and showing a really willing attitude to get home by a head from Desert Hero.

He didn’t race again after that until he made his debut this season, again in the Listed Magnolia Stakes.

He could only finish fourth in the end behind Military Order, but you can allow him that, he was just too keen through the early part of the race, and the energy that he expended unnecessarily inevitably told in the closing stages of the race. He led until inside the final furlong before weakening.

Nicely drawn

He should improve for that, his first run for a year, he shouldn’t be as keen today as he was at Kempton, and he is nicely drawn in stall one. It may be down to happenstance, and we are talking about small fields in general, but four of the last nine winners of the Steventon Stakes were drawn in stall one, and six of the last seven were drawn one or two.

More importantly, the Juddmonte gelding should appreciate the return to turf. He has run just twice on turf, and he has won on both occasions.

Rashabar is interesting, stepping up to 10 furlongs, on breeding there is every chance that he will improve for the extra distance, and Enfjaar is obviously a big player.

Roger Varian’s horse was short of room at a crucial stage in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot, he can be marked up at least a little on the bare form of that run.

But Okeechobee is a classy individual who could improve significantly for his seasonal debut and, at a bigger price, he may be the value of the race.

Recommended:

Okeechobee, 1.50 Newbury, 4/1 (generally), 1pt win

Elite Status, 2.57 Newbury, 4/1 (generally), 1pt win

Last week Donn tipped 13/2 winner Royal Velvet (SP 4/1)