Align The Stars, a promising son of Sea The Stars, eyes York's Lonsdale and Melrose options before targeting top staying events like the St Leger and Prix Royal-Oak.
Charlie Johnston's Align The Stars is considering both Lonsdale and Melrose options at York before turning attention to the St Leger.
The three-year-old, sired by Sea The Stars and out of the proven dam Kitcara, is a full-brother to multiple Group winner Al Aasy, trained by William Haggas.
After a quiet yet promising juvenile season, Align The Stars has shown consistent improvement this year. He initially placed in a series of handicaps while gradually adapting to longer distances.
Following a victory in a mile-and-a-half race at Thirsk in June, he stepped up to a mile and six furlongs to win the bet365 Handicap at Haydock, clearly enjoying the extended trip.
At Goodwood, he ran the same distance in the Coral Summer Handicap. Despite leading the race under Joe Fanning, he showed determination to win by a neck from Andrew Balding's Fairbanks, a heavily-backed winner at the July Meeting.
'He's been absolutely great since Goodwood, he hasn't done anything serious but he's just been ticking over and he seems to have come out of the race very well,' said Johnston.
'It hadn't been the plan to go out there and make the running, it was just how things panned out.
'It's not something he's done at all in his career, he was still quite green and immature in front, and it was only when he had a bit of company inside the last two furlongs that he knuckled down.
'He looked to be in quite a bit of trouble at the two-furlong pole, but he was always holding them in the final furlong.'
The colt could now head to the Ebor meeting where he might compete in the Melrose Handicap, or alternatively, step up in both distance and grade in the Group Two Lonsdale Cup.
Align The Stars digs deep to win the Coral Summer Handicap ✨#ITVRacing | @Goodwood_Races pic.twitter.com/8slNhRsuOc
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) August 3, 2024
The St Leger is also a key event in his calendar, as is the French equivalent, the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp in October.
'He won't go to the Voltigeur, I can say that with clarity. He'll be left in the Lonsdale at the confirmation stage and I wouldn't rule out an entry in the Melrose,' Johnston said.
'If he goes to York, it will be for one of those two options, but always with an eye on the St Leger and the Prix Royal-Oak later in the season.
'Those are significant targets, but I don't think the picture will become a whole lot clearer until we see the Lonsdale confirmations later in the week.'
Align The Stars is a big horse likely to mature well, and Johnston is enthusiastic about targeting top staying events next season when the colt turns four-years-old.
'Although you'd like them to be top-class at a mile and a half, we've always believed stamina might elevate this horse to the top level,' he said.
'He’s certainly a horse we're eyeing as a potential Cup horse for next year, and he's right on track for those kind of aspirations at this stage in his career.'
